The Broken Road
by VeraRose19
Summary: No matter how frightening the road ahead seemed, it was the only way forward now, and it had to be better than what she was leaving behind. Centred around Red, Gloria, and Nicky. With Aleida, Daya, Piper, Alex, Lorna, and many others. [Complete]
1. Chapter 1

"Look, Julio, cows!" Gloria whispered softly. She pointed out the window of the back seat of the cab they were driving in, forcing a pained smile onto her face as her toddler followed her finger. Her cheeks throbbed at the movement in her facial muscles but fortunately her son didn't notice. She'd been intently focused on keeping her tone light and her manner casual, as though there were no cause for concern and that this was just a simple road trip. It appeared to be working.

"Cows!" Julio repeated happily. Pressing his nose against the glass, leaving a smudge, he squeezed his plush Tyrannosaurus Rex against his chest and let out a delighted laugh as though he had not a care in the world.

Sitting nestled in the back seat of the crowded cab with his mom and their luggage, the biggest concern currently facing the two-year-old was deciding whether his promised ice-cream cone was going to be chocolate or vanilla whenever they got to where they were going. He was excited about this impromptu adventure. He had no memory of ever even really being outside of the city limits. The sprawling green and golden fields surrounding the winding road they were travelling on couldn't cease to delight him.

"What does a cow say?" Gloria asked.

"Moo," Julio replied promptly.

"Smart boy," Gloria praised him gently. "Keep your eye out for horses for me, will you? They're my favourite."

"Okay, mommy," Julio answered. He pressed his face even harder against the window with a look of pure determination in his eyes. He enjoyed a task and Gloria was just pleased she had thought up a way to keep him busy for now.

Leaning her head back against the seat, Gloria rested her eyes behind the pair of dark sunglasses she was wearing. The sound of Julio singing "Old MacDonald" rang through the air and Gloria was relieved to hear her son sounding perfectly normal. He was still so young that perhaps he had already managed to forget what he had witnessed mere hours prior, or at least her reassurances that she was really okay had managed to convince him. The frightened eyes he had been giving her while she had been rushing around the apartment, hurriedly stuffing whatever she could deem essential into her mismatched duffel bag and backpack, had now softened into a look of trust and contentment. Julio didn't know where they were going but he was glad to be leaving. So long as he had his mommy with him, he knew he was safe.

Gloria wished she could be feeling as confident herself, but she was still completely stunned from her own recklessness. Not that there had been any other option, she reasoned to herself. She'd put up with way too much, she'd turned a blind eye to all the red flags, and ignored the warnings from her aunt when she had come to visit them last Christmas. It had taken a little time, but Arturo had finally shown his hand and the situation had escalated beyond what she would ever tolerate. Staying was not a choice and though she knew that without a doubt, she wished she hadn't been quite so impulsive in literally running out of her home without any sort of a plan in mind.

She couldn't even call anyone right now since she had purposefully left her cell phone behind and she didn't really feel ready to do that anyway. Lourdes was too obvious of a choice and Gloria knew her home out of state would be the first place Arturo would look once he realized that she had run away. Gloria didn't want to bring that sort of trouble down on her aunt and cousins and wasn't exactly in the mood to get an "I told you so" lecture once Lourdes heard what had happened. She'd call her aunt once she got settled, she promised herself. At the least, Lourdes needed to know that she had broken up with her boyfriend and that he might contact them. She didn't need to know about the bruises on her face and arms.

Gloria could feel a trickle of sweat slide down the back of her neck. The purple t-shirt she was wearing stuck uncomfortably to her damp back and considering the chill in the cab from the blasting air conditioner, she knew she was sweating from fear and fear alone. She reached for the cotton collar of her shirt and tugged it out to allow for some cool air to hit her skin underneath. She really was alone right now and of very limited means. All she had taken with her was a few changes of clothes, toiletries, some of Julio's toys, and a wad of bills she had been saving which couldn't add up to much more than a thousand dollars. This cab ride alone was going to eat up a substantial amount of it and Gloria had no idea what she would do when it was gone.

"_It's not too late to turn back," _she told herself. Arturo probably wouldn't have even noticed she had left yet. He tended to stay out very late after a particularly bad fight, and after what had transpired that evening, Gloria didn't expect him to return home for several more hours.

Turning back was a tempting thought, but as Gloria delicately brought her fingers to her swollen cheek, and reminded herself that what hid beneath her sunglasses was far worse, she knew it wasn't an option. She had finally reached her breaking point and now there would be no forgiveness and no second chances. She couldn't afford them. Not in her current situation and with a little boy who deserved a safe environment to grow up in. She felt guilty enough for what she had already exposed Julio to and she would never allow herself to be hurt like that again. No matter how frightening the road ahead seemed, it was the only way forward now.

"Mommy, mommy!"

"What?" Gloria asked, opening her good eye so that she could peer over her shades at her son.

"There's horses!" Julio announced triumphantly. "Look! Look!"

"I see," Gloria replied. "Don't they look beautiful when they run?"

She sighed as she watched a beautiful palomino canter across the field towards the barn, looking gorgeous and free. It was such a peaceful place, becoming more and more withdrawn from the bustle of society as their taxi carried them on. The farms were far and few in between and sometimes they drove for several minutes before seeing signs of another living soul living out here in this largely untouched countryside.

As Gloria stared out the window, she tried to find something that would jog her memory, but it all seemed entirely unfamiliar. In all fairness, there wasn't much to see. Once they had gotten off the highway and pulled away from the city, they had driven deeper and deeper into a vast landscape of beautiful nothingness. The horses disappeared from view and the open fields gradually were replaced with more and more greenery until they were driving through a high thicket of forest.

She had given the driver the name of the first place she could think of. An extremely remote town several hours from the city. Gloria held no ties to it, aside from visiting once on a camping trip as a child with her mother and father. She knew that nobody would think to look for her here, especially since even she didn't have much of an idea of where she was going. It was a starting point though, a place to get her bearings before she figured out what exactly she was going to do next. One thing she was certain of, it had to be better than what she was leaving behind.

XXX

It took a few more hours to arrive to their destination which was so unremarkable that one could have doubted that they had arrived at all. A post office, a bank, a grocery store, a school, a tavern, and a church made up the entirety of downtown. It lay surrounded by quaint old farmhouses spaced far apart and at nine pm was so vacant that one could have considered it to be abandoned.

"Where do you want me to let you off?" the driver asked.

"I don't know," Gloria replied hesitantly. Everything was already shut down for the night which she hadn't been expecting, coming from a city that never slept. She pointed over at the Tavern, which was the only building showing any signs of life right now. All the lights were on and she could see two men standing on the deck, pints of beer in both of their hands.

"Do you think they rent rooms?" she asked.

"Only one way to find out," the driver replied. He turned his car into one of the parking spaces near the door and then jumped out.

"Wait here and I'll check," he told her, motioning to Julio who had fallen fast asleep with his head resting on his mother's shoulder.

"Thanks," Gloria replied simply, continuing to peer out the window at the men socializing on the patio. The clothes they were wearing looked ragged and dirty and they had steel-toe boots on their feet. She remembered then that it was Friday. These men had probably returned from some laborious job and gone out for dinner and drinks without taking the time to go home and shower first. They were working men and they were hungry, but Gloria couldn't imagine a restaurant in the city that would allow them in looking like that.

They were a comforting sight though, they seemed friendly. Gloria watched them for a few moments longer and then caught sight of two boys who looked to be in their early teens. They were running around the back of the building, untying white aprons from around their waists as they moved. They stopped to stuff them into their backpacks and then hopped onto a pair of bikes they'd left leaning against a large oak tree.

Though none of the sights were exactly ringing a bell for her, a feeling of contentment rose up within Gloria, despite her dire circumstances, and she realized why she had randomly chosen this place. It brought back memories of being with her parents, both now gone from this world, and feeling safe and wholesome. Arturo wouldn't find her here...here in this town where boys could ride bikes after dark and leave them under a tree while they went to work and not worry that someone was going to steal them. It was a safe place and though she didn't expect to stay long, it seemed like a good starting point.

A few minutes later, her taxi driver re-emerged from the building. He hurried back to the car, opened his door, and sat down behind the wheel before he turned around to face her.

"Good news!" he announced brightly.

"They have a room?" Gloria asked eagerly. Her hands reached for the buckle on her seat belt. She couldn't wait to get up and stretch her legs, get settled into a nice room, take a hot shower, and then cuddle up under the covers with her son while she got some much-needed sleep. Everything else would have to wait until tomorrow.

"Even better," he replied. "The man in there told me about a little Bed and Breakfast on the edge of town. He said the price is good and the food is delicious."

"Yeah?" Gloria replied hesitantly. She wasn't too picky but she valued her privacy and really just wanted space to herself after everything she had been through in the past few hours. Staying at a bed and breakfast would feel just like staying as a guest in someone else's home, and the last thing she wanted was to feel obliged to turn up for breakfast and make small talk with strangers when all she desired was to be alone with her son. It was probably more affordable than a hotel room though, and that was an important factor if she was going to stretch her limited funds until she figured out her next move.

"He thought it would be a nicer setting for you with a small child, since he warned the bar can get loud on the weekends when all the men return from working in the bush," the driver explained. "Apparently the woman who runs it has kids too."

"Sure," Gloria agreed. She was too tired to put up a fight and more than ready to just crawl into bed after what had to be one of the longest days of her life.

The driver put the car in reverse and then headed back the way they had come. They passed the two boys on bicycles that Gloria had noticed before and then turned down a side road composed entirely of dirt. The trees were taller and set closer together than they had been on the main road. Their branches stretched over the car with their abundance of leaves making it seem as though they were passing through a tunnel.

They travelled this way for a couple minutes until a large yellow house came into view. It had large windows and a big white porch that wrapped around its entirety. The porch even had a swing on it and in the bright moonlight Gloria could still see the flowerbeds leading up the walkway that would reveal their full beauty in the morning light. It looked quaint and picturesque, like something out of a children's book. Julio would be thrilled with it when he woke up and for the first time since everything had happened that day, Gloria smiled a real smile.

"It's perfect," she said happily, taking in the view.

As the driver parked the car out front, she could see under closer inspection that there was a young girl lying on the porch swing. She sat up as she took notice of them, using a hand to brush the thick mass of curls on her head out of her eyes, as she squinted in the car's headlights.

"Ma, someone's here!" they heard her call into the house. "Come see!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for the reviews! Johanna-002 wrote this chapter. **

Standing outside the cab, the crickets singing and the frogs ribbiting in the background, had Gloria feeling as if she'd died and gone to heaven. Her legs and back were stiff from sitting for so long, and she knew her son, who'd been harnessed into his carseat for just as long, was probably just as cramped and stiff as she was. Smiling down at his sleeping form through the window, she opened the door and reached across him to release the buckles holding him in place.

"Did you need help carrying him, Miss?" The cab driver asked from behind her.

"I got him," she said, tightening her hold on her sleeping baby. "I could use some help with my bags though." She had Julio's dinosaur backpack slung over her arm and though there wasn't much more to grab in terms of luggage, she didn't want to have to have to set him down for even a minute in order to make a second trip. Closing the door with her hip, she began to make the short journey toward the house where the adolescent teen was waiting on the porch.

"Jesus, Nicky!" A woman scolded as she rushed out of the house, wiping her hands off on the apron tied around her waist. "Don't be an observer, go and help her with her bags." She raced down the steps and took the single backpack that was dangling from Gloria's arms

"Oh, thank you," Gloria said as she adjusted Julio in her arms so that the woman could take the bag from her possession. "I think my driver has the rest of it, but I'm not sure if he got my son's carseat."

"Nicky, go," the woman snapped her finger in the direction of the cab.

"Ma-"

"Now." Watching with stern eyes as her daughter descended the steps, the woman turned back to Gloria and smiled at her apologetically as she followed her up the steps. She held open the screen door and gestured with her hand for her to enter.

"I'm sorry about that," she said sincerely. "Teenagers… I miss when mine were this small." She smiled at Julio.

"It's okay," Gloria smiled, puckering her lips against her son's temple. As she looked around the space, she couldn't help but be amazed at the complete beauty, yet simplicity, of the woman's home. It looked like something out of a movie. "This is beautiful," she marveled, taking in the clean, bright walls and dark, wood floors.

"Oh, thank you. I just finished renovating a few months ago." Her eyes danced around the open space proudly before coming back to focus on her patron.

The crease in her brow and widening of her blue eyes, caught Gloria off guard, until she realized that for the first time since she'd left home, she wasn't wearing her sunglasses. "Uh, so," she cleared her throat, breaking through the uneasiness she felt filter in the air. "I was told that I could get a room here for the weekend?" She knew the woman was staring at the bruising on her face, and she tried to ignore the burning flash of embarrassment that coloured her features.

"Oh, uh, yes," the woman said, shaking her head. "I'm sorry. My name is Galina. Galina Reznikov."

"Galina," Gloria repeated, nodding her head. "Gloria Mendoza."

Galina smiled sympathetically and tried hard to not gawk at the swelling and bruising that decorated Gloria's left eye and cheek. "You just wanted to stay for the weekend?" she asked gently as the front door opened. Seeing her daughter and the cab driver, she motioned for Gloria to walk with her into the kitchen.

"Um, for now," Gloria said tensely as she looked over her shoulder at the cab driver. Looking down at her arms, she was relieved to see Julio's brown eyes wandering around the room in amazement. "Hi, baby," she kissed his temple again. "Give me one second, Galina," she told the woman apologetically as she set her son down on his feet, and walked back over to the door so that she could pay her fair.

"Mommy," Julio whimpered as her followed close to her side.

"I'm not going anywhere, baby, I'm right here," she reassured him. She dropped her hand to his head and pressed him close to her. "I'm right here," she promised.

Julio wrapped an arm around his mother's leg as they came to a halt. He watched intently as his mother counted out some bills and pressed them into the driver's hand. He didn't know how much handing over that money, made his mother's stomach churn in agony.

Thank you," Gloria said quietly. "I really appreciate it. I know it was a long drive."

"No problem," the driver told her told her as he pocketed the change. "You have a good night. Good luck to you."

"Thank you." Reaching down for her son, Gloria brought him back up to sit on her hip.

"Hmm," the young girl cleared her throat, holding out her hand expectantly.

Gloria raised her brow at her, eyes flicking between the girl's brown ones and her mother's blue ones.

"Nicky, please," her mother rolled her eyes, "Leave her alone. Why don't you and Vasily go and take her bags up to the Sun Room for her?"

"I don't know where Vasily is."

"Then go and find him."

Nicky scoffed. "Why are you picking on me tonight, Ma?"

"Because you work my nerve, kid. Do as I ask and I wouldn't have to pick on you." Galina waved her hand for Gloria to follow her into the kitchen and motioned for her to sit at the island.

"How much is a place like this going to cost me?" Gloria asked as she set her son down in a chair and stood behind him. Counting out her money, she was trying to prepare herself for watching it diminish.

"Even fifty," Galina said confidently. "Three nights, one-fifty. I cook all meals and the sun room that I had Nicky take your bags to has a private bathroom and a mini fridge. I don't know if you saw the grocery store on your way in, but it's cheap and you can buy snacks there for the little one and yourself if you need to. Although, I'm always cooking something and have plenty of sweets and drinks here, so I think you should be fine. You're welcome to anything in the house."

Gloria nodded and passed her the money. "Do you have a phone?" she asked as she tucked away her remaining cash. She'd need to call Lourdes sooner rather than later if she wanted to give herself any real chance of starting over. As much as she didn't want to talk about what had happened, and how quickly things had escalated that afternoon, she knew that she was going to have no choice once Lourdes started asking questions.

"Yes, there's one in the living room and in your room," Galina told her softly. Tilting her head to the side, she shifted her gaze from Gloria's to her son's, and reaching across the island she playfully touched her index finger against his tiny fist. "What is your name, honey?"

Julio smiled bashfully at her, his cheeks and ears tinting pink as he looked up at his mother for permission to answer her.

"It's okay," Gloria reassured him with a smile, stroking her hand over his head. "You can talk to her. She just wants to know your name."

"I don't know," he said shyly.

"Ah," Gloria breathed, tugging playfully on his earlobe. "You know your name."

Julio pushed himself onto his knees and angled his body so that he was now facing the back of the chair. He wrapped an arm around his mother's neck possessively, and then looked over his shoulder at Galina.

"You're not shy, Julio," Gloria teased him. "You were talking to me all day."

"Julio?" Galina questioned, "is that your name? I like it."

"Mmm," he wrinkled his nose and turned to further bury himself against his mother. "I want my ice cream, Mommy." He told her as he pressed his forehead against the non bruised side of her face. "You promised," he reminded her, rubbing his nose against her own.

"Did I?"

"Yes," he told her kissing her cheek.

"You haven't eaten dinner," she reminded him. "What kind of Mommy would I be if I just let you eat sweets for dinner?"

"The best Mommy ever," he told her, laying his head on her shoulder and squeezing his arms around her even more tightly.

Watching the exchange with a smile, Galina opened the fridge to pull out the pot roast she had made for dinner. "I can heat this up for you," she told them. "And I have ice cream in the freezer, Julio," she said in a sing-song voice, her blue eyes shimmering as the young tot finally returned his attention to her. "But I can only give you some if your Mama says that it is okay." She platted them each a bowl and turned to put it in the microwave.

"Mommy?" Julio drew her name out, his tiny fist clutching a thick piece of her hair.

"Okay," Gloria relented, her hand rubbing up and down his back soothingly. She loved how cuddly her baby was, and it gave her a peace of mind that even after everything he had witnessed that afternoon, he'd really be okay. "Sit down, baby," she said as the time on the microwave beeped. She moved to sit in the chair next to him, and wasn't at all disappointed when he immediately crawled onto her lap. She wrapped her arm securely around his waist, holding him to her securely as Galina served them both.

"Where are you two coming from?" Galina asked conversationally as she brought them both a cup of water.

"The Bronx", Gloria said simply. She blew on the food Julio had on his fork before letting him take it to his mouth for a bite. She poked her own fork into her bowl before doing the same.

"We used to live Astoria," Galina told her. "We moved out here maybe ten years ago, when I had my youngest, Vasily. It's a lot more peaceful than the city, and there's space for the kids to run around. I don't have to worry about them getting into trouble or doing anything they shouldn't."

Gloria smiled at her, nodding her head in understanding. She dropped her eyes down to her son, watching as he mimicked her eating. Blowing on his food before putting it in his mouth. She didn't feel much like conversing, but knew she couldn't sit in this woman's kitchen and have dinner and dessert and not speak to her either. She didn't want to come across as rude, but she also didn't want to be too inviting that the woman started asking questions she wasn't ready to answer.

"Do you just have Nicky and um… Vasily?" Gloria asked politely, racking her brain for the names she'd heard her say.

"I have four, actually," Galina told her proudly. "Yuri and Maxim should be here soon," she said glancing at her watch. "Actually, any minute now. Nicky you met, and Vasily, I'm not sure where he was. Probably out back jumping on the trampoline."

Just as she spoke, there was a commotion at the front door and a thundering of foot steps. All four of Galina's children coming into the house one at a time, and speaking loudly amongst themselves. Gloria turned to look over her shoulder and was surprised to see that the two older boys leading the charge were the two teenagers she'd seen on bikes leaving the tavern.

"Hey Ma," the oldest one greeted her as he walked around the island to kiss her cheek.

"Hi, honey," Galina said as she hugged him. "This is Yuri," she said motioning to the son who towered over her. "This Maxim, and that's Vasily, and like I said, you already met Nicky," Galina jetted her head at daughter who was now standing on the other side of the chair Julio had first been sitting in. "Guys, this Gloria and Julio. They're going to be staying the weekend with us, okay?"

"Hey," Yuri and Maxim echoed one another, both awkwardly and obviously, trying to look anywhere but at Gloria's eyes.

"Hi," Gloria said meekly, before she reached for her glass of water. She took a large gulp, all eyes on her making her feel more than a little overwhelmed. She didn't know what she could do to take the attention off of herself. She knew they meant no harm by it, but she felt like a freak. Like some kind of circus animal that they had all paid to stare at. She adjusted her son in her arms and asked him in Spanish, "Are you ready for bed?"

"But my ice cream?" he asked her in English. "I don't want to go to sleep yet."

Sensing Gloria's discomfort, Red signaled for her own children to leave the room. "Why don't you all get ready for bed, too?"

"It's summer," Nicky reminded her unnecessarily. "We don't have a bedtime in the summer."

Red narrowed her eyes at her daughter, shaking her head. She was relieved when she saw Maxim put his arm around her and explain to her in Russian that she didn't have to go to bed, and that mom just wanted them out of the kitchen.

"So, Julio," Galina said happily, trying to once more lighten the mood. "Did you want chocolate or Vanilla? I also have strawberry."

Julio leaned against the counter, licking his lips in eager anticipation. "Chocolate!" he declared passionately. He'd been dreaming about this ice cream all day, and was set on enjoying every single bite of it.

XXX

With Julio's sweet tooth satisfied, Red walked the mother and her young son up the stairs to their room. She talked with Gloria quietly about the general day to day itinerary, feeling the intense need to fill the silence that would have otherwise cocooned them.

"Breakfast is at nine," she said as she led the way up the winding staircase. "Lunch is around one or one thirty, just depending on when my kids get hungry, and dinner is at seven, but like I said earlier, if you or Julio get hungry before or after that, feel free to help yourselves." When they reached the top of the stairs, Galina opened the first door on right. "This is your room," she told them. "The Sun Room."

"Wow," Gloria breathed as she looked around the space. It was painted a pale yellow, a wooden bed frame pressed against the wall. There was a chair in the corner that her bags were in and a tv was mounted on the wall.

"We call it the sun room, because it gets the best lighting," Galina told her, pointing to the huge windows on the far wall. "If you plan to sleep in, I would definitely close those curtains."

"This is beautiful," Gloria told her sincerely as she walked further into the room with her son.

Galina smiled. "Tomorrow I can give you a tour of the rest of the house and the property. I know you must be tired, so I'll let your rest."

"Thank you," Gloria nodded.

"Oh, before I forget," Galina said as she stepped into the room and opened another door. "This is your bathroom. Towels are here in this cabinet, along with soap, hair shampoo, conditioner, and anything else you might need." She pulled a blue washing bag out of the cabinet and laid it on the counter behind her. "Any laundry you need done, just put it in here and bring it to me. Okay?"

"Okay, thank you, again," Gloria said sincerely. Knowing that she'd have a way to do laundry was a giant weight off her shoulders. Scrapping her hand through her hair in frustration, the anxiety of being alone with her thoughts, for the first time since she'd made her impulsive decision to run, felt entirely too much for her, so much so that she almost missed Galina bidding them a goodnight.

"Night," Julio told her politely, waving bye-bye to her.

"Goodnight sweetheart," Galina cooed to him, quietly shutting the bedroom door behind her.

"Okay, my little love, "Gloria said as she walked over to the chair to grab their bags. "Let's see what Mama managed to grab." She needed to unpack everything for her own peace of mind. She needed to know what she had and didn't have, and how she was going to go about getting the things she needed. She laid the three changes of clothes she'd packed them a piece out on the bed, along with the socks, underwear, and the only package of nighttime pull-ups that she'd had left. She sighed as she inspected one of the pink bras that she had brought. The wiring at the bottom was coming loose, and she knew within a few wears it'd be poking out and digging into her skin.

Placing their clothes into the drawer of the dresser, she kept out their pajamas and their toothbrushes. All she wanted to do was soak in a bath and take some of the tension and pressure out of her muscles, but knew she didn't have the strength to keep her eyes open for much longer. A shower would serve its purpose for now, because as much she wanted to just crawl into bed and sleep, she knew rest would be elusive until she washed the day's sins from her body.

Taking Julio's hand in hers, she led him into the bathroom and turned on the water. She stuck her hand beneath the spray, the warmth of the water immediately easing the racing thoughts that were fighting to consume her.

"Sky high," she told her son, grabbing the bottom of his shirt. She quickly pulled it over his head and helped him undress the rest of the way before guiding him into the shower. "Is the water okay?" she asked him as she grabbed the body soap and two towels from the cabinet Galina had opened earlier.

"Yea," Julio answered her with a yawn.

"I know you're tired, baby," she told him as she set the soap on the edge of the tub, and the towels over the shower rod. Quickly stripping down herself, she couldn't bring herself to look at the bruises she knew were covering her body, or even think about the way her son would perceive them when he saw. She stepped into shower, shaking her head in amusement at Julio who was sitting directly beneath the spray, his face turned upward as he caught water in his mouth and then spit it back out.

"Come here," she told him as she lathered soap on her hands. "Let's get you clean so that we can go to sleep. Mama is very tired."

Just as she suspected he would, when Julio turned to face her, he studied her. His eyes tracing over every mark and bruise that he could see. Not knowing what to say, or how exactly to explain it to him in a way he could comprehend, Gloria lathered him with the soap and then directed him back under the water so that she could wash off all the suds. She did the same to herself, changing their position so that she was the one beneath the spray. She rolled her neck slow, circular motions, wincing as the stiff muscles in her neck protested her movements. She tipped her head back, the water making her hair feel heavy and in the way, as it fell off of her shoulders.

Reaching behind her, she fumbled with the knobs, blindly turning them off. Reaching for a towel, she opened it up and tossed over her son's head.

"Hey!" Julio exclaimed, combusting into uncontrollable laughter as she playfully moved the towel against him in an effort to dry him off.

Grabbing the second towel, Gloria wrapped it around herself before grabbing her hair by the fistful and twisting it so that all the water was wrung out. She opened up the curtain and offered Julio her hand as she helped him step out. The quickly went through the rest of their routine of brushing teeth and getting dressed, before Gloria opened the bathroom door.

"You ready for bed, _mi amor?" _She asked him as she retrieved the plush T-Rex that had been keeping him company the whole cab ride.

Julio nodded, thanking her as he took his toy. Kicking down the blankets, he took his spot in the very middle of the bed. The way he always did when he slept with his mom. He looked at her expectantly as he hugged his toy to him, waiting for her to lay down and cuddle him.

The look her baby gave her, the one that told her he thought she hung the moon and stars, broke her into a tiny million pieces. She didn't understand how he could think she was so great. So perfect. All day long, she had felt like a complete failure. She'd felt undeserving of him, and his endless well of forgiveness and love.

Turning to hit the light switch, she waited until the room was blanketed in darkness before she allowed the first tears she had wanted to cry all day, to slip unbidden from her eyes. Crawling into bed, she exhaled a shuddering breath as Julio gravitated toward her warmth. His little hand stroked her cheek, his head resting on her beating heart.

"Don't cry, mommy," he told her as he delicately passed his hand over her cheek again, wiping away her tears. "Don't cry."

Gloria rolled onto her side and curled her legs, drawing him to her as tightly as she could. "I love you," she whispered against his ear. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too."

"I don't know what I'm doing, baby," she told him honestly. "But I promise that I will figure it out. I promise… I promise nothing bad is going to happen ever again. Okay?" She felt him nod against her chest and she exhaled a deep breath, whispering over and over again how much she loved him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for the reviews. Johanna-002 and I wrote this chapter together. **

When Julio Mendoza woke up early the next morning, it took the toddler a couple of minutes before he remembered where he was. Then it all came flooding back to him. The long car ride, the horses, the nice lady who gave him ice-cream, and the way his mom had cried once they'd gone to bed. There was a lot that Julio didn't understand right now. In less than twenty-four hours, his entire little world had been turned upside down. The only constant he had at the moment was his mother, who was currently sleeping beside him.

Wiggling in her arms, he frowned as she tightened her hold, effectively trapping him in place. It was morning time, he reasoned to himself as he worked to get free. The sun had come out especially to greet him, and he wanted to say hello.

"Mommy," he whispered, pushing her hand down from where it was securely wrapped around his rib cage.

Gloria moaned softly in her sleep, but only drew him in closer. Unconsciously, she nuzzled her face against his head, instantly relaxing as the scent of him lulled and eased her back to dreamland.

It took a little effort, and wiggling like a worm, but Julio had finally managed to free himself. Huffing a large, tired breath, he furrowed his brows at her. He didn't understand how she could be so sleepy, especially when the day was begging for them to go and explore.

"Mommy, let's go play," he said as he crawled on top of her, straddling her hip. When she didn't respond, he moved his mouth right next to her ear. "_Mommy_," he called to her desperately.

"Shh," she hushed him, shrugging her shoulder to get him out of her ear.

"I want to play," he told her.

"Mm," she mumbled in the back of her throat.

Sighing, Julio laid his head against her shoulder, his arms wrapping around her in a hug. His tiny, little fingers made meaningless patterns against her skin, and he followed that patter up the sleeve of her shirt. As the purply-blue bruises came into sight, he sat up, pushing up her sleeve even higher. Craning his head to look at her face, he was careful in his movements to not hurt her as he touched her injuries.

Seeing her cry and scream, when she and the only daddy he has ever known had been fighting, had terrified him beyond what any scary, Scooby Doo monster ever had. He didn't ever want to be the reason she ever made sounds like that again. Leaning forward, he laid a delicate, butterfly kiss to her arm, and then moved himself upward to do the same to her eye. Her kisses on his ouchies had always been magic, and he wanted her to feel that same relief. Crawling off of her, he took his T-rex and placed it in her arms. He wanted to go explore, but he wanted her to be safe while he was gone.

With his Mommy taken care of, Julio set out to begin his adventure. Holding tightly to the blankets, he slowly worked to lower himself to the floor. Being as quiet as he could, he picked up his dinosaur backpack that had some of his toys and ran around the bed to the door. He had to stand on tiptoe to reach the knob, and with intense concentration, his tongue poking out the side of his mouth, he struggled to get a good grip. It took a few attempts, but his work was soon rewarded when the door opened.

Making his way to the stairs, he held onto the balusters as he descended down each step. Reaching the second step from the bottom, he quickly went about unpacking his bag and squealed in delight when he pulled out his train and two mini monster trucks. Crawling down to the floor, his imagination instantly sprung to life, the wood floors becoming roads and the stair steps becoming mountains. He went about driving his toys in a winding adventure, much like the one he'd recently traveled.

XXX

The melodic and innocent sound of a child's laughter interrupted the tranquility of the early morning that Galina was accustomed to spending alone. Her own children had the tendency to sleep in, especially in the summertime, and she had to smile at the sound of tiny feet padding down the hallway and at the little vroom vroom sounds he was making. It had been awhile since her home had been filled with such joyful noise and hearing it now sent a pang of longing through her heart.

Sometimes she really missed how little her babies used to be. She could still remember all the wild stories they would tell her, wanting her to see the world from their view as they gave life to their imagination. She wished now that she had indulged in it more. That she had let the laundry pile up once in awhile or put off the dishes to just be fully present in the moment.

It all just went way too fast. Yuri would be entering his junior year of high school in September. Already he had his learner's permit and was constantly begging her for lessons. That she had a child old enough to drive a car was completely incredulous to Galina and the others wouldn't be far behind. Already she was enjoying having a little one in the house. It was nice to hear him playing so freely and happily. She could only imagine what Julio and his mother were running from and hoped they would feel safe and at peace here for as long as they decided to stay.

Bringing her coffee mug to her lips, Galina took a long sip and turned her attention to the paper. The newspaper arrived on their doorstep early every morning and creature of habit, Galina began the day the same way always. By sitting at the long oak table in her open concept kitchen while she waited for the chairs around it to fill up.

This time, however, Galina found it difficult to concentrate on reading. Listening to the little boy playing by himself in the other room was far more interesting. As he ran around, Julio kept up a steady chatter with himself, alternating back and forth between Spanish and English seamlessly, which was adorable. Her own children had done the same, growing up bilingual it took them awhile to comprehend that they were actually speaking in two distinctive languages. Everything had just flown together.

"Blast off!" the toddler cried, and Galina looked up when he felt something bump against her ankle. Julio had shot his truck blindly into the room and in another instant, he appeared in the entry. Bent over at the waist he shot his second truck ahead of himself and then crawled on all fours under the table to retrieve them.

"Good morning," Galina greeted, pulling back the tablecloth so that she could smile at him. "Is your mama awake yet?" she asked, while she nudged the truck, he wanted a little closer to him.

Julio shook his head shyly. He crept closer hesitantly to pick up the toy truck and then shuffled back, eyeing her closely, but taking care to stay well out of reach.

"Those are nice trucks," she told him.

At this, Julio brightened. "They're my monster trucks," he informed her, holding one out for her inspection.

"Ah," Galina nodded, "that must be why they're so fast. Which one is your favourite?"

"Uhm, both of them," Julio replied, after taking a moment to consider the question. He clutched them tighter against his chest. "My other toys, mommy said I couldn't bring them."

"I guess there wouldn't have been enough room in your suitcase, huh?"

"In my backpack," Julio corrected.

"Of course," Galina nodded. "Did you leave your other toys in your room at home?"

"Yes," Julio nodded. "They had to stay at my house with _him." _

He spoke the last word in almost a whisper and a very worried look crossed over his face. Galina's interest was spiked, as much as her compassion. The innocence of his morning play time seemed suddenly dwindled. He was such a little guy, and Galina didn't even want to think about what he must have witnessed.

"I don't-I don't want by toys to get broke," Julio said anxiously.

"I'm sure your toys back at home will be fine," she told him gently. "Why don't you sit those ones up on the table beside you and we can see about some breakfast. Are you hungry?"

"Yes," Julio nodded.

He did as she said. Crawling out from underneath the table, he carefully set his two monster trucks side by side, before climbing up onto the chair beside her. "I forgot my train!" he exclaimed suddenly. Galina watched as he scurried off of his chair and back out into the hall. He returned in an instant, breathless, but clutching a colourful train in his little hand. He set it next to the two trucks and then finally seemed to relax.

"Can you make me breakfast cakes?" he asked.

"Breakfast cakes?" Galina questioned. She drained the last of her coffee and then stood up to go rinse out her mug in the sink.

"Yeah," Julio urged behind her. "If you don't know how we can ask mommy."

"No, let mommy sleep," Galina replied, setting her mug upside down on the drying mat.

"But I don't want you to make them wrong," Julio said worriedly. "My mommy makes them best."

"Oh really," Galina said dryly. "You know, if you weren't so cute, I'd be insulted. I'm told I'm a pretty good cook."

"But you don't know what breakfast cakes are," he told, as if that settled the debate. "I like the maple syrup on them."

"Maple syrup, huh?" Galina said, now understanding. She put on her apron and opened the cupboard to take out a bowl and then went to the pantry for the ingredients she would need for pancakes. "Here, you're going to be my helper this morning," she said as she laid out her supplies. "Do you think you can handle that?"

"Yea!" Julio told her excitedly.

"Okay," she smiled. Reaching down to pick him up, she set him down on the island and began to measure out everything she needed to make the best breakfast cakes Julio had ever had.

XXX

"What do you think?" Galina asked him as they finished mixing up the ingredients.

Julio nodded his head as he stirred the spoon into the batter. "Looks good," he told her.

"Would you like chocolate chips in yours?" She asked before ladling the batter onto her griddle.

"Okay," he agreed.

"I'll take some too, but with a side of bacon."

Looking up at the intruder, Galina rolled her eyes. "What are you doing here, Dmitri?" she asked thickly. "I don't remember inviting you over." Despite her annoyance, she turned to open the fridge and pulled out a package of bacon.

"Since when does a man need an invitation to come to his own house?" he replied as he made his way around the kitchen. Grabbing a coffee cup from the cabinet, he walked over to the pot and poured himself a cup. "Could we get some hash browns with that as well?"

Ignoring him, Galina flipped the pancakes over so that they could cook on the other side. "You never answered my question," she reminded him.

"I came to pick up the boys," Dmitri replied. "I want them to install the flooring upstairs. I figured they could use a little extra spending money."

"More like you figured you could get them to do the job for you," Galina replied dryly.

"What can I say?" Dmitri said with a smirk. "Having so many children is finally starting to pay off."

"Well, in that case, take Nicky with you," Galina replied. "Girl has been nothing but mouth lately. Maybe some hard work would do her good."

"And get her out of your hair for a bit," Dmitri added. He jetted his head at Julio. "Who is the little guy? He doesn't look like one of ours."

"His name is Julio," Galina answered as she plated his pancakes. "He came in last night with his mother, and decided to keep me company this morning. Right, sweetheart?" she smiled at him as she began to cut his pancakes up into bite sized.

Julio nodded but kept his eyes trained on Dmitri, almost as if he were sizing him up. Noticing the tension in his face, Galina held out her arms to him in a silent offer. He moved to her at once and she carried him over to the table. Setting him down, she then brought him his plate and a cup of orange juice.

"Do you need help?" she asked him.

"I can do it," he told her.

"Okay, I'll get your syrup," she smiled. Turning back to her husband, her face went neutral. "What is taking you so long to get that place up and running? We'll lose a lot of tourist money if we can't rent out at least half the rooms."

"It's not as if the competition is steep," Dmitri shrugged, "and until the rooms are done upstairs, we can just fill this place up a little more." Looking over at Julio he said, "I sent a cab driver here last night. Is that who was in it?"

Galina nodded and began to ladle out the next serving of pancakes. "I'm glad you did too," she told him in Russian. "The last place they need to be is surrounded by the idiots who frequent the bar. His mother is still sleeping, god knows she probably needed it."

"What do you mean?"

Before Galina had the chance to answer, she heard the sound of her eldest son, Yuri, greeting her. "Good morning, my love," she turned to kiss his cheek, smiling at him as he moved over to the table to say good morning to Julio.

"Good morning, son," Dmitri said sarcastically.

"Yea, hey," Yuri said uncaringly.

"_Am I invisible or something?" _Dmitri spoke in Russian, turning to face his wife.

"I wish," Galina grumbled. Wiping off her hands, she watched in amusement as Julio struggled to lick the sticky syrup off the corner of his mouth. "Honey, can you sit with him and help him?"

Yuri nodded and after he was done pouring himself a glass of juice, he walked over to the table. "Hey, man, nice trucks," he complimented.

"They're my monster trucks!" Julio exclaimed proudly. "I have a train too."

"Yea, I can see that," Yuri smiled. "I think I used to have some like this," he said as he turned one of the toys over in his hand.

"Do you want to play with me?" Julio asked him hopefully.

"I'll play with you after we eat," Yuri promised him. "Maybe we can find something to build a ramp."

"Okay," Julio agreed.

Dmitri took a long sip of his coffee and then cleared his throat. "So, Yuri, once we're done breakfast, I'd appreciate some help down at the tavern. We need to put down the floor."

"Seriously, Pop?" Yuri groaned, "you couldn't have picked a different day to get motivated? It's going to be so hot upstairs in the place!"

"You could install the air conditioning upstairs while you're at it," Galina suggested from the stove. She had just poured down batter for another batch of pancakes and was now poking at the sizzling bacon in the pan next to it.

"I think you're going to need to hire a guy for that, Ma," Yuri replied. "I don't know the first thing about air conditioning...or installing a floor either, for that matter."

"You'll figure it out," Galina said smoothly. She carried a plate of pancakes and bacon over to the table and set them in front of her son. "Once you're done eating, go wake your brother up. If you get an early start you can be finished before it gets too hot around midday."

"Why, what's happening?" asked Nicky. She walked into the kitchen, still dressed in a pair of pajamas shorts and a black tank top. She headed straight to the fridge, poking her head in and re-emerging with a green basket of strawberries, which she then carried over to the table.

"Pop wants us to put in the new floor upstairs," Yuri replied. "And don't eat all of those berries. Save some for the rest of us!"

"Do you want to come help us, Nicky?" Dmitri asked.

"No, why would I?" Nicky replied, after popping a strawberry in her mouth and shooting her brother a dirty look.

"Well, if you don't want to that, there is a lot of work I can find for you to do around here, little girl," Galina chimed in, with her back to them and her eyes on the stove.

Nicky opened her mouth to complain but then closed it. "Fine," she said reluctantly. "What will I have to do if I stay here? I'll pick which job seems the least unpleasant."

"After breakfast I want you to go hang all the washing on the line, water the garden, and then bring in all the dry laundry, fold it, and put it away."

"What kind of cruel fresh torture is this?" Nicky complained. "This is supposed to be my summer break."

"Your mother also doesn't pay for her chores," Dmitri pointed out. "If you work the morning with us, I'll give you ten dollars."

"Fine," Nicky sighed. "I'll go with Pop. But then I get to have my slumber party tonight." She whirled around in her chair to eye her mother. "Right?"

Galina was about to answer but was distracted by the sound of to sets of feet racing down the stairs. "I get next batch," Maxim interrupted.

"No fair!" Vasily protested, hot on his brother's heel. "Ma…"

"I serve you in the order that you arrive at the table," Galina cut in, setting a plate in front of Nicky.

"Then you forgot me a long time ago," Dmitri told her.

"I thought you wanted hash browns with yours?" she asked.

"Are you going to make me some?" Dmitri asked, looking hopeful.

"No," his wife replied bluntly. "I just thought that sounded better than admitting I was purposefully making you wait. I promise you can be next."

Nicky drowned her stack of pancakes in maple syrup and then picked up her knife and fork. "You didn't answer me, Ma."

"About what?"

"Can my friends sleepover here tonight?" she asked. "We want to camp out in the backyard and have a bonfire."

"Camp out in what?" Galina asked. "Doesn't the tent have a hole in it? You'll all be eaten alive by mosquitoes."

"We can patch it," Nicky said dismissively. "We've got all day, minus the morning apparently."

"You should ask Yuri to help you with the tent, Nicky," Vasily suggested innocently, leaning his head against their mother's shoulder while she cooked. "'I'm sure Lorna would appreciate that…"

"Which one is Lorna again?" asked Dmitri.

"Only my best friend," Nicky replied, taking a large bite of pancake. "You really should take more of an interest in my life...no time like the present to start though, I guess."

"Nicky," Galina chastised, as she heaped a generous sized portion onto a plate for Dmitri. "Take this to your father," she directed Vasily. "And what exactly did you mean about Lorna and Yuri?"

"Don't even go there, Ma," Yuri groaned. "There is a reason I hide whenever Nicky has friends over."

"Lorna's pretty," Vasily said unhelpfully.

Yuri made a face and shook his head. "She's like...twelve," he shuddered.

"No, she's not," Vasily corrected. "She's thirteen. Same as Nicky."

"Never mind," Galina interrupted them. "To answer your question though Nicky, yes, your friends can come over."

"Great," Nicky grinned.

"Which ones are you planning to ask?"

"Lorna, Alex, and Piper," Nicky rhymed off.

"I don't know what you see in that Piper."

"Her dad owns the movie theater and let's us in for free," Nicky explained logically.

"Fair enough," Galina sighed.

"What about Dayanara?" asked Dmitri.

"What about her?" Nicky blinked.

"I bet she would like to be included," he replied.

"Uhh...no," Nicky shook her head.

"Why not?" Dmitri asked. "She seems like a nice girl."

"You've met her mother, right?" Nicky raised her eyebrows. "The woman you somehow convinced Ma to let you hire? The one who is barely civil to the customers and goes home with a different one of them nearly every night?"

"Nicky," Galina dragged her daughter's name out in warning. "You wouldn't like it if someone talked like that about one of your parents, would you?"

"You talk about Pop like that all the time," Maxim pointed out.

Dmitri lifted his head up and glared across the table at his wife. Galina smiled and deposited a plate down in front of Vasily before getting him a cup of Juice. Just as she was about to start the next batch, a thundering of footsteps raced down the stairs.

"Julio!"

All eyes at the table turned to the tiny tot. Syrup and chocolate stained on his face, he smiled innocently at his mother as she appeared in the kitchen. The panic that had been flooding through her veins only moments ago, dissipated at once, a smile of her own tugging at the corner of her lips.

"What are you doing?" Gloria laughed as she made her way over to him. "Good morning, everyone," she greeted them softly. "Honey," she said from her position behind his chair. Cradling his face in her hands, she tipped his head back to kiss his nose. "Honey, you can't just leave me without telling me where you're going."

"I told you I was going to play," he told her as he stuffed another piece of pancake into his mouth. "I gave you my toy to sleep with." In his mind, he had done more than enough to comfort her.

Dmitri and Nicky laughed and Gloria sighed. "Next time, can you make sure I'm awake before you just run off?" she asked him.

"Yea," he nodded, licking his lips. "Can I have some more juice?"

"Can you say please?"

"Please?"

"Gloria, are you hungry?" Red asked her with a smile. "I can make you some, too."

"They're good," Julio told her. "Better than yours."

Gloria narrowed her eyes at him as she set the cup down in front of him. "No thank you, Galina. But do you have any Tylenol?" she winced as she rubbed at her forehead.

"You wouldn't have a headache if you ate," Galina scolded her playfully. "By the way, I don't think you've met Dmitri," she gestured with her hand between the two. "This is Gloria, Julio's mother. He's the one that told the cab driver to bring you here."

"Thank you," Gloria told him politely. "It's a nice place," she said as she looked around. "You were right about the curtains, I should have closed them. Maybe then I wouldn't have had a runaway baby."

"I enjoyed spending the morning with him," Galina told her sincerely. "He showed me his cars-"

"Monster trucks, Ma," Yuri corrected. He held his fist out and smiled when Julio bumped it.

"Sorry," Galina apologized. "He showed me his monster trucks and then we cooked breakfast together."

"I'm glad you're enjoying your stay, Gloria. You and your son are welcome here as long as you like," Dmitri told her sincerely. "I don't normally send guests to the competition but since she is my wife, I decided to throw her a bone."

"Don't listen to him," Galina rolled her eyes. "He has the whole gang recruited to help him to install flooring in the rooms above the tavern because he procrastinated for so long and they aren't ready for guests."

"So, you run both places?" asked Gloria, trying to understand.

"Mhmm," Galina nodded. "We bought the tavern when we moved here and lived above it for the first few years. We got this house as a sort of fixer-upper and once we finished it, I had the idea to rent out some of the rooms in it also. It's too big for just us."

"Well, you did a beautiful job on the place," Gloria observed. She glanced around herself at the bright sunny yellow walls and the wide picture windows. The floors were oak and the whole place was open and welcoming. A lot better than the two-bedroom apartment she'd left behind. "I'd love to see pictures of what it looked like before."

"Sure," Galina smiled. "And I can give you a tour later if you're interested. I'd love to show you both around town. Have you been here before?"

"Just once when I was a child," Gloria replied. "And I don't really remember anything about the place, and I'm sure it's all changed since then anyway, so that would be great. If you're not too busy," she hurried to add.

Galina shook her head. "I have errands to run in town today anyway. That, and I want to go check up on the waitress Dmitri recently hired."

"Great," Gloria smiled. She reached out her hand for Julio. "Come, baby. Let's go get dressed for the day." She glanced over at Dmitri. "It's really nice to meet you."

Watching her back until it was out of sight, Dmitri smiled and waved bye-bye at Julio. Turning his attention back to his wife, his face fell and his tone took on a hard edge. "What happened to her face?" he asked protectively.

Galina sighed sadly and shook her head. "I can hazard a guess."

"Are you going to ask her about it?" he questioned. "I don't like that at all," he said disapprovingly. He picked at the pancakes on his plate, his appetite suddenly gone. He may be a lot of things, and on any given day his wife may want to choke the life out of him, but he'd never dared to even think about raising his hand to her, and the thought of someone one day doing that to his daughter sparked a range within him he had never before confronted. "Has she said anything about it?"

"I wondered that too," Nicky said as she took a sip of her juice. "We made her feel awkward yesterday… I think she knew we were staring."

"I was trying not to," Maxim admitted guiltily. "I thought that stuff only happened in movies."

Galina placed a delicate hand on her son's shoulders. "I know you didn't," she reassured him. "I'd like to ask her, but I don't know how to bring it up. The most we can do for her now is make her and Julio feel comfortable, okay?"

Kindness and compassion was the root in which she wanted to raise to raise her children. It was why she had down charged Gloria for her room. She'd seen the wheels spinning in her head as Gloria counted through the change in her hand, and as uncomfortable as facing the truth was, Galina was grateful for the teaching moment it allowed for her family.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you for reading and reviewing! **

"His eyes are getting heavy," Galina observed. She reached a hand out to adjust the hood of the stroller to prevent the sun from landing directly on the little boy seated inside it. "You might get a nap out of him."

"Lord please yes," Gloria sighed. Her hands squeezed tightly on the handles of the stroller. It was an old one, slightly faded from sun damage and the fabric was a little worn. Galina had told her that she'd bought it when she was expecting her first child and, four kids later, it still rode like a dream.

As they travelled down the dirt road, the wheels stirred the dust up into the humid air. Gloria couldn't remember when she had last done so much walking, but it had been exactly what she needed. To be outside in nature, getting fresh air, and exercise-Gloria had actually begun to relax. After breakfast was finished and Galina had finished her chores, she'd made good on her word and asked Gloria if she and Julio would like to accompany her into town.

In the past couple of hours, they had been everywhere and nowhere in particular. The town didn't exactly boast much, although in the middle of the day it had turned out to be much livelier than Gloria's initial impressions of it had been. She'd viewed all of it through the shade of her dark sunglasses, keeping her head averted whenever they ran into people Galina knew and would stop to talk to, which happened more times than Gloria could count.

"It's a bit like living in a bubble," Galina had explained apologetically, after they'd encountered a nosy woman who had felt inclined to interrogate Gloria about where she was from and what exactly had brought her here. "Everybody knows everyone else, and things nearly always stay the same. New people visiting the town is just about the most exciting thing that happens around here."

"I'm not sure I could ever really get used to that," Gloria had confessed honestly. "I like people to stay out of my business."

"That doesn't surprise me," Galina had replied, a lit bit too knowingly. Her piercing eyes had fallen uncomfortably onto the bruising on Gloria's face, but she'd at least had enough sense not to pursue the subject.

Regardless, they'd had a nice time. Julio had enjoyed the considerable more freedom he was allotted compared to when they were home in their busy and often unsafe neighbourhood. He'd run ahead of them on the empty dirt road, with seemingly endless energy, all the way into town. He'd picked wildflowers growing in a grassy ditch for both women, shoved rocks he thought were cool into the pockets of his shorts, and got upset when they reached the main road and he'd needed to hold somebody's hand.

They'd gone to the market, the post office, the bank. And then Galina had taken them to visit her restaurant. The inside of the tavern was simple and basic. The menu was filled with common favourites with a daily special that Galina always selected and prepped herself. She was a busy woman, running her business while maintaining a bustling household with a steady flow of house guests. While Galina looked over her books and checked in on her staff, Gloria entertained Julio outside on the deck. People liked to eat out there on nice days and it proved to be an enticing runway for the little boy, complete with a gorgeous view of the crystal lake this town was built on.

"Thanks again for lunch," Gloria said softly. They'd eaten at the tavern once Galina had finished her work. Dmitri and all of the kids had come downstairs to join them. Ravenous, and hot, but in good spirits. Vasily had tagged along to help and so had his closest friend, a pretty little girl named Lida, who lived on the same road with them. After the meal, Dmitri had announced he was going back upstairs to nap, and all the kids had dashed outside to go their separate ways.

"You're welcome," Galina replied. "It's been a nice day. Julio is so cute. Norma found him adorable too."

"How could you tell?" asked Gloria. She'd been introduced to Norma, the cook, only briefly when she'd come out of the kitchen for a coffee break once everyone had been served. Norma had gentle eyes and a kind smile but hadn't spoken a word. Galina had explained that Norma had worked there since they had opened. Her daughter, Gina, helped out in the summertime when she was on leave from college where she was studying to be an electrician.

"I've known her long enough that I can usually tell what she is thinking," Galina replied with a smile. "But also, anybody would think that about your boy so it is an easy assumption to make."

"I can't argue with that," Gloria replied with a gentle smile. "My husband told me he fell in love with Julio before he even fell in love with me." At the casual mention of Arturo, she involuntarily twitched and the throbbing from her black eye seemed to amplify as a painful reminder. Even when she wanted to, her body was not about to let her forget what had happened to it.

"You're married?" Galina asked curiously.

"Mmm," Gloria murmured unintelligibly, wishing she'd had enough sense to keep her mouth closed. She could feel Galina's eyes upon her. The woman putting together the obvious: that Gloria had been assaulted by a man she'd believed loved her, but who obviously didn't, and then she had run away instead of staying to face this demon head on.

"Are you sure that I can't give you money for lunch?" Gloria asked, changing the subject. She leaned over to pretend to check on her baby in the stroller, who was quiet and groggy but somehow was managing to keep his eyes open. Julio hadn't spoken a word since vehemently protesting them strapping him into the stroller in the first place. He'd wanted the freedom, he wanted to run, but there was no way he'd have found the energy to make it all the way back on his little legs.

"Of course not," Galina scoffed. She looked disappointed though, that Gloria clearly was not going to elaborate on the bit of herself she'd revealed.

"Thank you," Gloria replied softly. "It's a very nice place."

"I think it would be nicer if we had a better server," Galina replied, shaking her head. "Did you catch the attitude she gave me? She gets like that whenever I ask her to do anything."

"And she goes home with a different customer every night, is that right?" Gloria giggled, remembering what Nicky had said at the breakfast table.

Galina rolled her eyes dramatically. "I'd have fired her already, but Dmitri won't let me. He feels sorry for her because her boyfriend went to prison on some drug charges and CPS came and took her kids out of the home."

"Oh really?" Gloria murmured.

"Yes, it's really too bad," Galina replied. "I think she had five of them? Her oldest is in Nicky's class and staying with a nun who works at the local church, and the others are all scattered into different foster homes."

"How sad," Gloria said softly.

"Anyway…" Galina sighed. "Aleida is supposed to show the case worker that she can hold down a job and provide a stable home environment before she gets the kids back."

"So, you have no choice but to keep her," Gloria replied with a small smile. "I see your dilemma."

"Dmitri offered her the job because nobody else in this town would hire her, but I'm the one who actually has to deal with her," Galina complained. "He doesn't do anything. And I don't blame Nicky for not wanting to be friends with the daughter, if she is anything like the mother."

"Be fair," Gloria smiled. "He put the floor in today."

"He supervised an army of children doing it," Galina corrected. "And then did you miss the part where he said he was going to lie down for a nap? He'll probably just be getting out of bed when I head back over there to check on how the supper rush is going."

"Do you actually get much of a rush?" Gloria asked in surprise. "I can't imagine there being many people around here to come out to eat."

"Oh yes, we do," Galina nodded. "At least in the summertime it gets busy. There's a campground down by the lake and a lot of people go out for dinner once they start getting sick of campfire food. I've actually been considering hiring a second waitress to help out and give me a little more free time."

"Really?" Gloria asked, her ears perking up in interest. The wheel of the stroller stalled in a pothole in the gravel and she had to nudge it with her foot to proceed on.

"Would you be interested?" Galina asked automatically. "I thought you said you were just passing through?"

"I don't really know what I'm doing yet," Gloria admitted truthfully.

"Hmm," Galina murmured, compressing her lips. She stared at Gloria inquisitively as the front of her house came into view and they walked side by side toward it. "Well, let me know what you decide to do. I'd hire you in a heartbeat."

"Thanks," Gloria replied. They reached the house and strolled up the walkway together. Gloria squeezed the handlebars and pondered the option laid before her. She'd enjoyed her first afternoon in this quiet little forsaken place. No doubt she would tire of it in time but right now it was the perfect place for escapism and was everything that she needed. She didn't need to have her entire life sorted out just yet if she could just figure out her next step. However, before she could commit to anything, there was somebody else she needed to consider.

"Do you mind if I use your phone?"

XX 

The phone answered on the second ring, as if Lourdes had been waiting by it on the off chance she called. Which she probably had, Gloria reasoned as she sat down on the edge of the bed, she'd shared with Julio last night. Through the open window she could hear the sound of children laughing and calling out to one another. Julio was out there with them all. Galina had offered to watch him so that she could make her phone call in private.

"It's me," Gloria said simply, once her aunt had said hello. The anxiety in Lourdes' tone was obvious and Gloria felt a wave of guilt flow through her body at the sound of it. She should have phoned sooner. She'd now been gone for almost an entire day and if Arturo had been calling her, Gloria knew her aunt must now be out of her mind with worry.

"_Florescita?_" Lourdes whispered, exhaling a loud breath of relief into the phone. "Oh, thank God! What happened? Where are you? Is Julio okay? Are you okay?"

"Whoa!" Gloria exclaimed. She pulled the sunglasses she'd been wearing all day off of her face and tossed them on the bed. At least in the privacy of her own room she didn't have to deal with the staring from everyone around her. "One question at a time, Tia. We're okay."

"If you're okay then why did it take you this long to call me?" Lourdes demanded. "Do you have any idea what you've put me through?"

"I'm guessing he's been calling you then?" Gloria asked flatly.

"Arturo? Yes," Lourdes huffed. "Wanting to know where you are. Asking if you're with me and threatening to fly out here if you don't call him soon."

"That's exactly why I didn't call you sooner," Gloria replied, as the hand not holding onto the phone began to scratch incessantly against the fabric of her faded blue jeans. Arturo had done exactly as she had predicted he would. As soon as he realized that she'd gone he'd probably been blowing up her relatives 'phones and leaving accusatory messages about them hiding her.

"I would have appreciated a head's up before having to deal with that _Pendejo_," Lourdes scoffed. "I didn't know if you were dead or alive. All I could think about was that _Mamon _murdering you and little Julio, and throwing your bodies in a ditch somewhere!"

"Come on, Tia," Gloria sighed, falling back on the bed and hanging her head off the other side. "You know that he would never do anything like that."

"I don't know that," Lourdes retorted. "Don't you watch the news, _mami_? Things like that happen all the time and it's no secret that Arturo has anger issues."

"If he had killed me then why would he have been blowing up your phone trying to figure out where I am?" Gloria asked impatiently.

"Don't be smart with me, young lady," Lourdes scolded. "Honestly…"

"Sorry," Gloria replied, staring at the ceiling from her upside down position. "Honestly, I didn't mean to take so long to call. I've just been preoccupied with getting settled and making sure Julio is doing alright."

"Did he hurt you?" Lourdes asked bluntly.

"What do you mean?" Gloria hiccupped nervously. Subconsciously, she placed her hand over the right side of her face, covering up the worse of her bruising as though worried Lourdes would somehow be able to suddenly see what she clearly already suspected.

'You know what I mean," Lourdes said, her tone cold and steady as she carefully annunciated each word. It was what she'd always worried would have happened and had tried to warn her niece about the first time Arturo had slammed the table a bit too hard or punched a hole into the wall. She'd never liked the way he gripped Gloria's shoulder a little bit too hard or how he'd call her names and accuse her of infidelity if she lost track of time when out running an errand. Lourdes had seen all these red flags on her regular visits. She could tell this was an unhealthy relationship for her niece to be in, but, like always, Gloria was stubborn and needed to learn things the hard way. Lourdes just knew that something big must have happened for Gloria to walk away as suddenly as she had.

"Tia, it's not like that," Gloria replied softly. "I know you never liked him and your predisposed to assume the worst about him but I'm promising you that I'm alright. I just don't want to be with him anymore."

"So, you've left him?" Lourdes asked.

"Yes," Gloria replied softly.

"For good?"

"Gloria…." her aunt said after a moment's pause. She could sense her niece's hesitation and didn't have the patience for it. "What? Are you just planning to hide away for a few days and think that when you finally go home, he is going to be so relieved to see you that things will automatically be better?"

"You don't know what you're talking about," Gloria said. She sat back up, crossing her legs underneath her as she sat in the center of the bed. She could feel her anger building, her resentment at being spoken to like a child with no sense.

"I just finished telling you that I want to break up with him," Gloria replied defensively. "But it's a little bit more complicated than that. I need to divorce him, and we haven't even been married a year."

"You never should have married that _hijo de puta _in the first place," Lourdes argued.

"Yeah, but I did," Gloria replied. "And I really don't need a lecture about it. See, this is why I didn't want to call you. You think I don't know that I f*cked up? I'm surprised you're not dragging Julio's father into this, or how about-"

"Gloria, I'm not trying to lecture you," Lourdes interrupted. "I'm just trying to understand. I can tell there is a lot that you aren't telling me and I'm worried about you. Do you know that Arturo has called here 29 times since yesterday evening? 29 times! That doesn't sound like a man who's done nothing wrong." 

"Tia, I'm sorry you've had to deal with that but I'm telling you that I'm fine," Gloria tried to sound reassuring. "Julio and I, we're safe and I've found us a good place to stay until the dust settles and I figure out what I'm going to do next."

"Where exactly are you?" Lourdes asked.

"In a small town a few hours out of the city," Gloria replied. "I just sort of picked a place at random. I didn't want to go anywhere Arturo would expect me to and he'd never think to come look for me here."

"If Arturo didn't do anything wrong then why are you hiding from him?" Lourdes asked knowingly. "If he's as decent a guy as you try to pretend he is, then why can't you two sit down and talk about all this like adults?"

"I need to decide what I'm going to say," Gloria replied. "I don't know how to tell him that it's over."

"Do you want me to tell him?"

"What? No!" Gloria exclaimed. "If he calls you back again just tell him that you don't know where I went but that I will be in touch soon and that I love him."

"I'm not saying that last bit," Lourdes said distastefully.

"Fine, don't," Gloria rolled her eyes.

"I can buy you and Julio a plane ticket if you want to come out here," Lourdes offered.

"I just want to sort of lay low for a little bit," Gloria replied gently. She also didn't want to fly out to Florida looking the way she did and confirm her aunt's worst fears. She was too ashamed of it, too embarrassed. Arturo had beaten her. It hadn't been the first time but Gloria was certain it would be the last.

"Ah, _mija , _I just don't know what to say," Lourdes sighed. "You always make life so difficult for yourself."

_And you don't know the half of it_, Gloria thought wryly to herself. She reached her hand behind her head and combed it through the hair that reached just past the nape of her neck. She was eager to hang up the phone now that she had made her dutiful call.

"Do you need money?" Lourdes asked resignedly.

"Yes," Gloria admitted, biting down on her bottom lip. She felt guilty even accepting the offer from her aunt who didn't have much and already had too many other people relying on her. Gloria didn't want to be another person for her aunt to take care of. She was determined to stand on her own two feet. "I think I might take a job here for the summer. Then I can pay you back."

"Don't worry about it," Lourdes said gently. "I'll wire you some money right away and you let me know if you need more. Alright?"

"Alright," Gloria nodded her head against the phone held up to her ear.

"You just concentrate on taking care of my great nephew and doing what you have to do," Lourdes replied. "I'm sure there is more that you aren't telling me about why you left so suddenly, but, I'm proud of you. I know leaving couldn't have been easy."


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you for the reviews. They keep me going. **

It was a beautiful night and as tired as she was, Gloria wasn't ready to turn in and go to sleep. Stepping outside the house, Gloria walked over to edge of the porch and smiled at the sight. Laughter carried across the lawn, lit only by moonlight and the sparkling stars above them. Nicky's friends had arrived. Gloria could see them all jumping on the backyard trampoline together. A basketball net was set beside it and they were all shooting for it with a ball as they worked to wrestle it from one another. They were clearly having a good time and for a moment Gloria felt seriously nostalgic. She missed those days when she'd been a young girl herself and had nothing more to worry about than homework.

Sighing, she began to walk across the plush lawn. She hadn't bothered to put on shoes and the grass felt like a cool and soft carpet beneath her feet. She spied Galina sitting on top of the picnic table set slightly away from the trampoline. She appeared completely engrossed in the novel she was reading, but looked up when she heard Gloria approaching.

"Hi," she greeted her with a smile. "Have a seat."

"They look like they're having fun," Gloria commented, as she hopped up to join her new friend.

"Yes," Galina nodded. "They're a pretty tight group. They've all been friends since they were babies and I used to take Nicky to those Drop-in playgroups." She closed her book and set it down beside her. "Did Julio fall asleep okay?" she asked, pulling her reading glasses off and placing them on top of the book.

"As soon as his head hit the pillow," Gloria replied. They both watched the girls just as they all jumped in unison, sending Lorna, the tiniest, high up into the air. She squealed in delight, attempted to toss the basketball into the net before she came crashing back down. "Is that safe?" Gloria asked in amusement.

"I assume so," Galina shrugged. She reached for a can of vodka soda set beside her and took a long sip. "I used to impose a rule of only one person on the trampoline at a time but as Nicky always would say 'what is the fun in that?'"

"She has a point," Gloria nodded. "It's a good work out too. Do you ever go on?"

"No," Galina scoffed, shaking her head. "I played on it a little bit with Julio while you were on the phone and that was the first time, I've been on it since they set up the damn thing."

"Thanks again for watching him this afternoon," Gloria said softly. "It was a relief to be able to talk without a rambunctious toddler in the background making it impossible to hear."

"It was my pleasure," Galina said smoothly. "I can't remember the last time I had that much fun. I miss when they were little like that and always wanted me."

"I don't know, they all still seem pretty attached to you" Gloria shrugged, flashing a small reassuring smile that made her cheeks twinge. "You all seem so close and comfortable. When I was Nicky's age, I never wanted to be at home or bring friends around."

"It's one of the perks of living in such a small town with a lot of children," Galina replied, taking another swig of her drink. "There aren't exactly many places to hang out so our home turns into one. Nicky has her friends over nearly every weekend in the summer and Vasily and Lida are playing video games in the living room but I'm going to walk her home pretty soon. It's never lonely around here. Or quiet for that matter."

"I think it's perfect," Gloria said honestly. "Where I'm from, there isn't much family around. It always sort of felt like Julio and I were on our own. Just he and I against the world."

"What about your husband?"

"What?" Gloria blinked.

"You mentioned a husband when we were coming back from town this afternoon," Galina reminded her. There was a knowing tone to her voice that Gloria didn't like and which made her blush. She suspected everyone's minds had been working overtime since she'd gotten there, trying to piece together the clues she gave them so that they could figure out what exactly had happened to her.

"Are the older boys out?" asked Gloria, signaling an end to the discussion with a prompt change of subject. She craned her neck to look around the yard but nobody else was around aside from Nicky and her friends.

"Yes," Galina replied, looking disappointed. "They bus tables and wash dishes in the restaurant at nights for me, but they'll be home pretty soon."

"I saw them riding home on their bikes yesterday when I got into town," Gloria told her.

"I think Dmitri will put their bikes in the back of his pickup truck and drive them home tonight," Galina said. "Nicky asked him to come help them make a bonfire." She tilted her head back to drain the last drops from her drink.

"That was good," Galina observed, setting them empty can down beside her on the picnic table. "I could do with another. Would you like one? I've also got some wine coolers in the house if you'd prefer."

"No, thank you," Gloria replied automatically. "I don't really drink much."

"You don't eat much either," Galina commented. "You didn't have breakfast, hardly any lunch, and the supper I left before I went back to the restaurant was barely touched."

"Are you keeping tabs on me?" Gloria smirked.

"Just a little concerned," Galina replied. "Or offended-most people can't get enough of my food."

"Well, Julio certainly can't. He told me three times today that your pancakes are better than mine," she rolled her eyes.

"Another reason I like him," Galina smiled. "He's such a sweet boy. He'd make a good big brother."

"Maybe someday," Gloria replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's just been him and me and I don't know how I feel about having to share myself with anyone else. But you did it right? Four kids," she sighed. "That's a lot of love."

"I always wanted a big family," Galina admitted. "And children close together. Dmitri didn't want another once we had our girl, but I always had hoped for four and that's what I got."

"So, how did you convince him?" Gloria asked in amusement.

Galina shrugged. "He liked having sex back then and so long as I promised he wouldn't have to do any of the work he was willing. He didn't even show up at the hospital when I was giving birth to the younger three, and with Yuri he spent the whole time hyperventilating in the hallway and then told me he needed to go home and sleep because it had been a long day."

"Julio's father showed up to meet him in the hospital the day after he was born," Gloria confessed quietly, her eyes focused on the ground. "Julio started crying when he was holding him and the poor man had no clue whatsoever how to console him. I think that's when it hit him just how real all of this was. After that he left, blocked my number, and moved away. Hasn't seen Julio since."

"Loser," Galina rolled her eyes. "But you don't need somebody like that around. I sometimes wish Dmitri would have gone that route but he stuck around and we just live separate lives basically."

"Aside from making more babies together, of course," Gloria chuckled. She thought the two of them were complete messes and it was clear even after only knowing them for a singular day that neither spouse was particularly happy in their arrangement. Yet, they seemed resigned to it. In a sort of permanent rut that a lot of people found themselves in after being married for so many years.

"There needed to be some sort of consolation," Galina said simply.

"He seems like a pretty good dad from what I've seen though," Gloria said honestly. "I know I haven't seen much but, doing projects with his kids, coming to make a bonfire for his daughter and her friends. I know it's not right that society has a different set of rules for mothers and fathers but compared to a lot of men, he seems alright."

"I know it could be much worse," Galina admitted. "And Dmitri did get more involved once the kids were old enough that he could just hang out with them like friends and not actually have to take care of them, but for a long time I was basically on my own. It was like having five children."

"That might actually be harder than just being a single mom," Gloria reasoned. "At least a single mom gets the acknowledgement and doesn't have a man-child to constantly take care of. I'm still pretty knew at this single mom stuff though, so I'll have to let you know."

"I thought you just finished saying your son's father only saw him once?"

'Yeah, but I met my husband just a few weeks later," Gloria replied. "It got serious really fast, probably too fast, but I just loved what a good father figure he was to Julio. He took such good care of both of us."

Her voice shook on the last few syllables and Gloria squeezed her eyes closed tightly. Even without her saying anything, Gloria could sense the judgement and knew how idiotic her claims had to sound when she spoke them with a face covered in fresh, suspicious, bruises. The worst part of it all, was that she wasn't lying or even stretching the truth at all.

Arturo had come into her life very suddenly and completely swept her off her feet. Their first actual date had been to show Julio the ducks at the pond, Arturo's way of demonstrating to her that he understood she and her son were a package deal and that dating a single mom meant very little time for just themselves. Gloria could still remember how amazing he had been, carrying the diaper bag over one shoulder and asking her if he could be the one to feed Julio his bottle when they stopped for a rest on a park bench. Afterwards, they had shopped for groceries and gone back to her place where he'd cooked them dinner. Arturo had stayed the night and never really left after that. Gloria hadn't wanted him to. She'd thought he was the love of her life.

"How was he when you talked to him?" Galina asked quietly after a few quiet moments.

"What?" asked Gloria.

"Isn't that who you needed to call?"

"Oh, no," Gloria shook her head. "I needed to phone my aunt. She lives all the way in Florida but I knew if she'd been trying to reach me, she would be worried."

"I can imagine," Galina murmured.

"She wanted to buy Julio and I plane tickets so we could fly out to stay with her," Gloria admitted.

"Oh really?" Galina raised her eyebrows. "Well, it wouldn't be a bad idea. Are you going to do it?"

"No," Gloria said confidently. "We'd only be in the way. Lourdes has kids and grandkids of her own to worry about and I don't want to interfere with any of that. We get on each others' nerves enough just seeing one another on holidays."

"So, what are you going to do instead?" asked Galina.

"I'm trying to figure that out," Gloria admitted. "I'm not sure what the right thing to do is but I keep thinking about what you said this afternoon about hiring another waitress. If I got a job here, I'd be able to stay."

"Really?" said Galina in surprise. "Well if you want it, it's yours."

"Really, just like that?" asked Gloria. "Don't you need to speak with Dmitri first?"

"If he ever bothered to consult with me before making decisions himself then I'd say maybe," Galina rolled her eyes.

"Hey, I'm not judging," Gloria laughed, holding her hands up in defeat. "Not if it gets me a job."

"Ma! When is Pop getting here?" Nicky interrupted. The two women had been so completely engrossed in their conversation that they hadn't even noticed all four girls run over until they were standing directly in front of them.

"How would I know?" Galina replied, as Gloria lowered her gaze awkwardly, suddenly feeling very self conscious about her decision to forego the dark sunglasses she hadn't really taken off since she'd arrived. She hadn't thought anyone would notice anything, considering how dark it currently was out. Yet, she could feel all the girls staring at her curiously.

"Nicky said he would come build us a fire," Piper said.

"He should be here soon," Galina sighed. "He has to wait for the boys to get off work so that he can drive them home."

"Is Yuri coming with him then?" Lorna asked. "Nicky said he was working hard today so maybe he would like to come relax at a bonfire with us. I think-"

"None of my brothers are invited out here," Nicky interrupted. "They're banned. Will you tell them for me, Ma?"

"Gladly," Galina replied dryly. The last thing she wanted was to have to see her older son getting flattered by a girl three years younger than him. Lorna was only thirteen and had had an obvious crush on her best friend's brother for as long as she could remember.

"Did you introduce your friends to Gloria yet?" she asked Nicky knowingly.

"No, but we played with Julio a little bit inside when you were showering," Nicky told Gloria.

"He's so cute!" Lorna exclaimed. "I would love a little boy like him to take care of. Not like my little brother. He's so annoying."

"He told me you guys played trucks with him," Gloria said. "That was nice of you."

"I'll babysit him for you if you ever need," Piper offered. "I charge ten dollars an hour."

"Ten dollars an hour," Nicky blinked. "I don't even get a consistent allowance a week for everything I do around this place."

"I took a babysitting course last fall if you want to see my credentials," Piper told Gloria. "First aid too. Did you remember to apply ice to your eye right after you got hurt? If you had it might not have bruised as bad."

"Wow," Nicky breathed, shooting a nervous look at her mother whose eyes had widened in astonishment.

"Smooth, Pipes," Alex rolled her eyes.

"I'll keep you in mind if I'm in desperate need of a babysitter," Gloria told Piper stiffly.

"Why don't you girls go back and play," Galina said quietly. They didn't need to be told twice. As soon as they were out of earshot, she turned to Gloria. "I'm sorry," she said. "I never liked that girl very much."

"That's okay," Gloria brushed her fingertips against the tender skin. "I know it looks pretty bad."

"It looks painful," Galina said bluntly.

"Not so bad anymore," Gloria said softly. She nodded back over at the girls who had climbed back onto the trampoline. "It's hard to believe that we were ever like that," she said, to change the subject. "They make me feel so old."

"Don't speak to me about feeling old," Galina rolled her eyes. "You must be only like what? Twenty-Seven?"

"Twenty-eight," Gloria replied defensively.

"I don't think I was ever like that," Galina said honestly, with her eyes on her daughter' s back. "I look at Nicky and sometimes feel envious. She just has this lightness about her, she makes everything fun, and her big mouth gets her into trouble sometimes but it also just attracts people to her."

"She's adorable," said Gloria. "And she's good at making people laugh. She is going to turn out very interesting."

"I don't know where she gets it from," Galina shook her head. "I was always so serious, maybe even a little shy. I kept to myself for the most part. My parents were always trying to get me to go out more."

"Really?" asked Gloria in amazement. "I was the opposite. I used to get in trouble for not spending time at home or with my family enough. I used to go out on dates and then have wild slumber parties with my girls."

"Nicky's only thirteen," Galina shook her head. "She isn't going to be interested in boys or dating for at least a couple more years."

"If you say so," Gloria smirked. "I think I was about twelve when me and my friends started having serious crushes and practicing slow dancing and kissing at our sleepovers."

"On each other?" Galina frowned, staring back over at the girls.

"Well, we weren't allowed to have boys sleepover," Gloria giggled. "Although that didn't stop us from sneaking them in one time."

"Now I really need another drink," Galina said, shaking her empty can wistfully.

She turned her head in the direction of a pair of headlights that flashed across the lawn as the familiar red pickup truck made its way up the driveway. "Finally!" they heard Nicky exclaim.

"Well, maybe he'll at least get me another drink from inside the house," Galina said, pressing the back of her free hand to her lips as she stifled a yawn. "I really don't feel like moving right now. It's such a gorgeous night."

"I love the stars," Gloria sighed, tilting her head up at the majestic wonder. A black sky lit by sparkling lights not obscured at all like they were in the city. This was God's country, free and forbidding. A reminder of how big the universe really was and how insignificant she and her problems actually were in the grand scheme of things.

"Hello."

Even before Dmitri spoke Gloria could sense an emotional shift in the atmosphere and a change in the woman who was sitting beside her. Gloria had become quite good at reading people's energy, a necessary skill she had developed to survive living with a man whose mood changed more consistently than the weather. Suddenly all Gloria could read was tension and resentment emanating off of both people, which was something she had sensed that morning and a lunch but which was so much more profound in this moment, when none of their kids were there to notice. Even Dmitri's tone was different. Flat and indifferent, as though the woman he was married to meant nothing to him.

"Where are the boys?" Galina asked sharply, her voice more irritated than indifferent. Although neither had anything to do with her, Gloria could already feel her whole body tensing from secondary anxiety. She felt almost like a child caught between two feuding parents and suddenly wished she could just sink through the earth.

"At Joel's," Dmitri replied. "Something about a nighttime swim or fishing, I don't know. How are you, Gloria?"

Taken-a-back to suddenly have all the attention diverted to her, Gloria could feel her face growing warmer. "Fine," she answered awkwardly. Lowering her gaze from the stars she forced herself to smile. "We've just been enjoying the night. It's so beautiful."

"I don't trust that Luschek kid," Galina shook her head. "You know he isn't going anywhere in life. And he's a bad influence."

"They're fine," Dmitri said impatiently. "They're old enough to make their own decisions so stop babying them."

"I'm not babying them."

"Whatever," Dmitri rolled his eyes. He shook his head at Gloria in exasperation and smiled, as though he expected her to reciprocate his sentiments about his wife's seeming overprotectiveness.

"You don't just suddenly turn off caring about your children just because they've reached a certain age," Galina responded. "I guess it's just different for you because you only decided to start paying attention to them around a year ago."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dmitri demanded.

"Exactly what it's supposed to mean," Galina retorted. "So, what time did you tell them to be home?"

"I didn't," Dmitri responded. "They're adults."

"Fifteen- and sixteen-year old's are hardly adults," Galina replied.

"If they're old enough to hold down jobs then they're old enough to stay out late with a friend," Dmitri said. "I'm getting pretty sick of this attitude, Galina. They're my kids too."

"I have an attitude?" Galina blinked.

"Wow," Dmitri said flatly. "Are you honestly even questioning that?"

"Finally, Pop!" Nicky called from across the yard. Gloria craned her neck just in time to see the girl take a big leap off of the trampoline, gracefully soaring through the opening in the safety netting. Nicky landed on her feet, straightened up and then jogged over to the picnic table to join the adults. Gloria felt relief at the interruption to the bickering as she'd already noticed just from spending a day with them, that Dmitri and Galina did a little better when they noticed their children paying attention. That was at least more than could be said for Arturo, although Gloria had always worked to pacify her spouse, rather than provoke like Galina seemed so intent upon. Until the other day, Gloria had been like a master at keeping the peace and her thoughts to herself.

"Will you build us a fire now, huh?" Nicky asked eagerly. "We've been waiting."

"The last thing I should be doing is anything for you right now, _Nicolette_," Dmitri frowned, using his daughter's full given name.

"Why?" Nicky asked blankly. "What did I do?"

"What did you do?" Dmitri echoed. "You left the upstairs window wide open when you left this afternoon and now the rooms are swarming with mosquitoes. How is anyone supposed to get any sleep in that?"

"I don't know," Nicky shrugged, "but we're all sleeping outside tonight and we just sprayed ourselves with bug repellent which seems to be doing the trick. Maybe you should have fixed the holes in the window screens when Ma told you to before."

"Good one, darling," Galina said, stepping down from her perch on top of the picnic table. "And if the air conditioning had already been installed, she wouldn't have needed to open a window in the first place. Who are you really angry with, Dmitri?"

"Umm, I'm going to-" Gloria began to say.

"I need to go walk Lida home," Galina announced, turning her focus back to Gloria, she smiled. "I promised her parents I'd have her home before it gets too late and I wouldn't put it past Sam to come over to fetch her himself if I wait. And then it always takes forever for him to leave. Anything to be away from Katya a little longer."

"_I know the feeling,"_ Dmitri muttered in Russian.

"_And I don't?"_ Galina shot back at him in Russian. "Do you want to come?" she asked Gloria warmly. "They don't live far. Lida's stepfather's house is just a little bit down the road from us. I just don't like the younger kids walking around once it gets dark out. I don't know, I guess I just like _babying_ them that way," she added sarcastically.

"Maybe I'll just wait here," Gloria replied. "I'm a little tired and I should go in to check on Julio."

"Oh, I can do that for you," Galina offered. "It's a great night for a bonfire and I won't be long."

"_She won't be long," _Dmitri mocked, once his wife was out of earshot. "She spends more time chatting with that Sam Healy than with me."

"Come on, Papa," Nicky sighed, tugging him by the arm. "My friends are waiting."

Not knowing what else to do, Gloria stood up to follow. It disturbed her to realize that she was the only person around who appeared at all upset about what had just transpired. Everyone else acted as though nothing out of the ordinary had just transpired, as though a husband and wife who could hardly stand one another was no cause for concern.

"_At least Arturo and I had a lot of highs to intercede with the low," _Gloria said to herself. As though the passionate love and excitement she had always experienced when Arturo was good to her could make up for how terrible things could sometimes be. She rubbed her hand against her face, reminding herself that there could be no consolation for something so terrible. Dmitri might get angry with his wife, but he didn't draw fists or even seem to consider it. There was something to be said for that.

"Where are they going?" Gloria asked. She'd just witnessed Dmitri pass his daughter a pocket knife before allowing all four girls to run off into the forest, something she strongly suspected his wife would have not allowed at this hour.

"Oh, they need to cut some sticks to use as poles to roast their marshmallows on," Dmitri replied. He knelt down beside the fire pit. Somebody had already stacked a pile of firewood and old newspaper for him. Gloria watched as he began to arrange some boards into a teepee in the center of the pit. Then he crumpled up some papers to wedge around as a starter.

"Aren't you worried that they'll get attacked by a bear or something?" Gloria asked hesitantly, nervous she might mistake her concern for a criticism. Arturo had never been able to handle her questioning the simplest of his judgements. Gloria had learned it was usually best to keep her opinions to herself which was why Galina mouthing off to her husband was so distressing.

"Nah, the bears are more scared of us than we are of them," Dmitri replied, not sounding at all offended. "Especially with the noise those girls are making. They're bound to scare every sort of wildlife off."

"I'm not used to a lot of this country stuff," Gloria said honestly. "And I agree with you that the mosquitoes are pretty bad. I wouldn't want to sleep in a room full of them either. They're bad enough outside when you expect them."

"If they're bothering you, try standing closer to the fire," Dmitri suggested. "They don't like the smoke. Except, your clothes might smell like the campfire a lot in the morning."

"That's alright," Gloria said, moving a bit closer to the fire and kicking her foot out slightly so that she could feel the heat on her toes. "Your wife said she would wash them for me. I am going to need to buy a few new things soon, for when-do you know of any discount stores or thrift stores around here? I'd just like to get me and my son a few things to hold us over.

She had almost told him that she needed to get nicer clothes for work, which she felt would have been a mistake. She knew his wife hadn't discussed hiring her with him and Gloria was worried that might make him angry. The last thing she wanted was to be the source or target of somebody's anger and would prefer the couple discuss that themselves, while she was safe away in bed and didn't have to listen to it. Because undoubtedly, they would argue. Even if neither cared that strongly, they treated bickering like it was a sporting match and they both hoped to come out on top. Gloria already had learned that there was no winning when couples fought.

"The church always has a ton of stuff they're giving away," Dmitri replied. "Aleida told me that they helped her furnish a whole apartment and they're always accepting clothing donations. Galina takes our kids stuff there whenever they outgrow it. Before you spend any money, you should check out what they have."

"That's a good idea," Gloria said brightening. She'd seen the red brick building with the tall white steeple and heard the chime of the bell around midday when they'd walked into town earlier. She'd grown up in the church and still usually tried to attend when her schedule allowed it. "Do you go to church? Do you like it?"

"Only if he wanted to get struck by lightning," Nicky said, as she walked back over to the fire with four thin tree branches over her shoulder. Her friends were right behind her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dmitri frowned at his daughter.

"That I'm a perceptive person," Nicky replied. "You're no angel, Pop."

"Well, neither is your mother," Dmitri replied. "And give me my knife back."

"I still need to sharpen the edges," Nicky told him. She sat down cross legged on the dewy grass and used her father's pocket knife to begin cutting the edge of the first stick into a sharp point.

"This will be my first marshmallow of the summer," Lorna said, dropping to the ground to sit beside Nicky.

"Just give the fire a few minutes to really get going girls," Dmitri said. "Once you get some embers it will be better for cooking on. Do you want to make smores?"

"Yeah, and some hot dogs," Alex said. "I forgot to eat dinner before I came over."

"Don't let Galina hear you say that," Dmitri advised. "She'd consider that a cardinal sin."

"Correction, requesting a hot dog is what would disturb her the most," Nicky chimed in. "She doesn't think they're real meat, but fortunately for us I bought some earlier and put them in the fridge when she was at work so she wouldn't judge too much."

"What does she think they are then?" Alex asked.

"I don't know," Nicky shrugged her shoulders. "She just calls them junk. They never make it onto her grocery lists. The only time I get them from her is when the fair comes to town."

"They are pretty gross though," Piper said. "Mr. Reznikov, do you have a grill? We could put it over the flames and char hamburgers."

"What do you think this is, a restaurant?" Nicky asked. "I ain't a short order cook. Hot dogs or smores. Take it or leave it."

"I guess I'll just stick to roasting marshmallows," said Piper, accepting the stick with the pointed edge that Nicky passed her.

"How much longer is she going to be?" Dmitri complained suddenly to no one in particular. He turned to look towards the dark road, as though hoping to see his wife walking back already. "I want to get to bed. I'm tired."

"You're fun, Pop," Nicky commented, sticking a marshmallow onto her own stick and then lowering it down over the embers. "It's not even ten o'clock yet. And it's Saturday!"

"She said she wouldn't be too long," Gloria reminded Dmitri softly. "But if you're tired, I can stay out here with the girls for you."

"You're sleeping here tonight, Pop?" Nicky asked in surprise.

"Well, I can't sleep at the Tavern now that it's filled with mosquitoes," Dmitri responded with a glare.

"Well, at least you won't be kicking me out of my bed this time," Nicky shrugged. "I'm sleeping in the tent."

"Enjoy yourself," Dmitri said dryly. He turned to Gloria. "You sure you don't mind me heading in?"

"Not at all," Gloria replied automatically. "So long as Nicky makes me a smore." She was eager to be helpful and wanted to be well-received. She knew there was a lot more to this family than she'd originally believed. Nicky didn't even seem to find it strange that her parents clearly didn't share a bed or seem to like sleeping under the same roof most nights. It made Gloria feel sad for her, but also a little bit better about her own predicament and what it could do to her son. She hadn't wanted to tear Julio away from his home and his stepfather, but now she was starting to have hope that he really would be okay. All families had their problems.


	6. Chapter 6

**Johanna-002 and I wrote this chapter together.**

Despite the late hours everyone had kept the previous night, the kitchen was bustling as early as ever on Sunday morning. Beginning with Nicky and her friends, who left a trail of grass blades and damp footprints from the morning dew on the usually pristine floor. The four girls had managed to survive the entire night camped out in the backyard but had discovered that being out in nature rarely amounted to late lie-ins. They'd been awake with the sun and had come into the house in good spirits for breakfast where Nicky's mother had found them.

Galina had hardly slept herself at all. She'd come back from walking Lida home in decent time and then she and Vasily had joined Gloria and the girls at the campfire until well after midnight. Even conceding to munch on the roasted marshmallows and hot dogs the girls kept serving up, Galina had completely enjoyed talking with Gloria until long after Nicky, Lorna, Alex, and Piper had retired to their tent.

After the heaviness of their conversation before Dmitri had interrupted them, Galina and Gloria had switched to more comfortable topics. Describing their childhoods, Galina's as the oldest of three in Russia and Gloria growing up in the Bronx as an adored only child with an array of cousins to keep her from ever feeling alone. They didn't touch on the subjects that were painful or simply too heavy to share with a person you'd just met, but there was an unspoken understanding that they were there. Over the course of a late night they had found a friendship in one another and even though she was exhausted that Sunday morning, Galina was excited to spend time with Gloria again

"Where's my little friend?" Yuri asked, walking into the kitchen already dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. "I found a bunch of my old cars I wanted to give him." He and Maxim had crashed last night without bothering to come out to the campfire at all. He paid the girls just as much attention now, barely looking over in their direction before disappearing into the fridge. He pulled out a carton of orange juice and poured himself a glass.

"That's really sweet of you, honey," Galina said, looking over her shoulder to smile at him from her spot in front of the stove. She watched him drain the juice in his glass in one long gulp. "I guess he and Gloria are still asleep. I was looking forward to having his help in the kitchen this morning."

"We helped you," Nicky said, yawning loudly. All four girls were seated at the table. Slouched over, tired looking, and still dressed in their pajamas, with the exception of Lorna who was already wearing a floral tank top with a denim skirt and sporting a full face of makeup. Nearly empty plates were set in front of all of them but nobody looked like they had any desire to move yet. Even Lorna looked like she wanted to go back to bed.

"You and Alex slept at the table and Piper dropped egg shells into the mixing bowl," her mother replied.

"I said I was sorry," Piper reminded her.

"Lorna almost set her hair on fire," Galina added.

"It's the hairspray," said Lorna, tossing her hair and batting her eyes dramatically. "That stuff really lasts".

"You girls were nothing more than trouble waiting to happen," Galina said, flashing them a hint of a smile so that they would know she wasn't really upset. "Now does anyone want anymore to eat?"

There was a murmur of no thank you's around the table while Yuri reached behind his mother for a plate and then began to load it up with heaping portions of bacon, hash browns, and scrambled eggs. "Where's Pop?"

"Where do you think?" Galina asked sarcastically.

"Bed?" He guessed correctly with a smile. "I don't know how any of them are still asleep," he added, pulling out a seat at the head of the table. "You guys were making so much noise in here."

"Blame Lorna," Nicky said, pointing an accusatory finger at her closest friend. "I'd still be asleep myself but she woke up to get herself all dolled up and when she unzipped the tent all the sunlight came in."

"Not to mention about a thousand mosquitoes," Alex added. She took a small sip of orange juice. "It would have been impossible to fall back asleep after that. No wonder your Dad was mad at you last night, Nicky."

"Okay, first of all, I did not wake up to get '_dolled up'_, as you put it," Lorna interrupted. "I had to pee and then figured I might as well get ready for the day when there was nobody waiting for the bathroom. What else was I supposed to do?"

"Hold it?" Piper suggested.

"Pee into a pop can?" Nicky offered.

"Gross," Lorna wrinkled her nose.

"How does a girl even do that without it going everywhere?" asked Piper.

"Oh, it's pretty simple, you just-"

"That's enough, Nicky!" Galina shook her head. "Honestly…" Her voice trailed off as her husband chose that moment to stagger into the kitchen bleary eyed and dressed in pajamas with a robe over top. She herself was already dressed for the day, in a calf-length red sundress with a white apron tied around it protectively while she cooked. She never understood the rationale of people who lounged around in pajamas until they had to leave the house.

"What are we talking about?" Dmitri asked. He walked over to stand behind his son, tapping him on the shoulder as a signal to move. All the seats at the table were currently occupied but Yuri did not argue as she slid off his chair and carried his plate over to eat at the counter.

"Never mind," Galina replied. She reached for the coffee pot and poured some steaming brew into a mug which she handed wordlessly to her husband. "Eggs, hash browns, bacon, toast...you want all of it, right?"

"Hash browns?" Dmitri repeated. He dumped a heaping teaspoon of sugar into his cup of coffee and gave Galina a smile. "You do listen to me. That's what I requested yesterday morning for breakfast."

"That's a coincidence," Galina said defensively, her eyes narrowing. "I forgot you even said that."

"Easy now, Ma," Nicky said, holding up her hand. "What's so bad about letting Pop think you did something thoughtful for him?"

"Because it was just a coincidence," Galina answered stiffly. She looked back at her husband. "So, do you want it all or not?"

"I'll take some of everything," Dmitri replied, withholding a thank you a minute later when Galina set his plate in front of him. It was odd to everyone aside from themselves and perhaps their children, the way they could resent one another and also fit together as seamlessly as they did. She made him breakfast, he fixed the things she wanted him to fix, and they both carried on with their lives. Bickering was just how they communicated, as if after so many years together they had simply forgotten how to be nice to one another.

"Did you make the bed or is that another thing you expect me to do for you?"

"Can I at least wake up first before you start ordering me around, Galina?"

"Can _both _of you curb all the sweet talk until my friends and I have left the table? It's embarrassing," Nicky exhaled loudly. She smirked at her friends. "And they accuse me of having a big mouth."

Dmitri returned to eating his breakfast while Galina began to fidget with the tie on the back of her apron. "So, what have you girls got planned for today?" she asked calmly.

"Swimming," Lorna answered. "It's supposed to be so hot today."

"That sounds lovely." Galina replied, tossing her apron onto the countertop next to where Yuri was leaned over eating.

"Only you would bother to put on a full face of makeup before jumping into a lake, Lorn," Alex laughed.

"Hello, it's called waterproof mascara," Lorna replied. "And I can apply more lipstick when I get out of the water."

"I don't know, it still seems like a waste to me," said Alex.

"Is there something wrong with looking nice?" Lorna asked, patting her shoulder length brown hair. She shot an inquisitive look at Nicky's brother's back, but Yuri was focused intently on his plate of food and didn't seem to notice.

"Of course not, "Nicky assured her, patting her shoulder. "Even if the rest of us look like hot messes, you look gorgeous, hon. Doesn't she, Yuri?"

"I don't know," Yuri shrugged. His cheeks pinkened slightly as he shot a glare at his younger sister. "Why are you asking me?"

"Because it wouldn't hurt you to learn how to pass out a compliment once in awhile when they're deserved," Nicky replied. "I mean...who raised you?" She winked at her mother.

Yuri shoved a final large forkful of food into his mouth and then placed his dishes into the sink. "Okay if I leave?" he asked his mother, wiping the back of his hand across his lips.

"Where are you going?"

"Joel's," he replied. "We set some lines down at the lake last night. Might as well ride down and check them now since I'm up."

"Might as well," Galina echoed. She sighed as she followed Yuri's retreating back out the door and down the porch steps into the garden. The sun was bright in the sky and its heat was already radiating through the open windows at this early hour. "Well, I can't think of a better thing to do on a hot day than spend it on the water. Maybe that's something Gloria would like to take Julio to do this afternoon. I'll have to ask her."

"If they do come, we could teach Julio how to swim after," Piper said eagerly.

"Or let him bury us in the sand with those little shovels," Lorna replied.

"You're going to let the girls go to the lake by themselves?" Dmitri asked, standing up and walking over to the stove to help himself to more bacon. "You didn't even want to trust them to sit around a campfire in our own backyard without supervision."

"They're all strong swimmers. They know to swim in pairs. And I'll be along later," Galina shrugged. "What's the problem?"

"I guess there isn't one," Dmitri replied. He grabbed handful of bacon and placed it onto his plate.

"Save some for everyone else," Galina said, slapping his hand away as Dmitri reached for the spatula to scoop up some more eggs. "Maxim and Vasily still haven't eaten, and neither have Gloria and Julio. I don't think I've seen Gloria eat more than two bites of anything since she got here."

"Maybe she's watching her figure," Dmitri replied, walking back over to his vacant chair. "I'm glad you finally started getting serious about that. I can see a little bit of a difference."

"That means very little from a man who can eat a pound of bacon all by himself," Galina rolled her eyes. "I'm honestly getting a little worried about her. Maybe I should go knock on the door and ask if they want breakfast?"

"Don't bother," Dmitri said. "She isn't here."

"What?" Galina frowned. "What do you mean she isn't here?"

"She left early this morning with Julio," Dmitri replied. He took a large bit out of a strip of bacon. "They were going to church and I told her to check out their donation items."

"Oh…" Galina said softly, feeling slightly deflated. "Well, when were the two of you talking?"

"Last night after you went to take Lida home," Dmitri replied. He looked at her closely. "Why do you look like that? You don't go to church. You don't even believe in God."

"I believe in God," Galina replied defensively. "I just don't always think he knows what he is doing."

"Maybe God just has a good sense of humour," Nicky suggested. "After all, he did bring you two together."

...

His tiny hand held firmly in his mother's grasp, Julio only resisted a little bit as Gloria tugged him up the stone steps of the small, local, 'Catholic church.

"How come I have to go to church but they don't?" Julio complained, looking absolutely adorable in a pair of beige chinos and a navy blue, striped polo shirt.

"Because I said so," Gloria replied monotonously. She had made the effort to wake up early and dress herself and her son with care, all her aunt's lectures growing up about wearing her Sunday best when visiting God's house still drilled into her. She was wearing a short, purple sundress that was slightly wrinkled from being packed but still looked great on her. Her sunglasses were still covering her eyes and she knew that would arouse notice but it was better than the alternative.

"But why?" whined Julio.

"Because I'm your mama."

"But why?" Julio pressed on.

"Because I have the stretch marks to prove it," Gloria said, halting their progress just outside the heavy weighted doors of the church.

"But why?" Julio persisted.

Gloria sighed. "Are you going to question everything I say?"

"Can I?" Julio giggled.

Gloria rolled her eyes but reached down to scoop her son up into her arms. "You're so cute," she told him, kissing the tip of his button nose. "You know that?"

"Yep," Julio grinned, kissing her nose back with enthusiasm and knocking her sunglasses slightly askew.

"Oh, that you don't question, huh?" Gloria said dryly, readjusting her shades with one hand while she balanced Julio on her hip.

She bit down on her bottom lip and reached a hand out cautiously to grip the large door handle. It was a relief when it opened with ease. Left unlocked. In the city the churches were closed up almost immediately at the cumulation of mass to cut down on thievery or god knows what else. Though Dmitri had assured her the church was generally left unopened, at least during the day time. Gloria had purposefully dawdled on their walk so that the mass would have concluded before their arrival, with most parishioners hopefully already well on their way. It wasn't that she didn't need the mass or want to attend the service, she just wasn't prepared for the attention and curiosity she would draw in other people as a newcomer looking the way that she did.

As she walked over the creaky wood floor, carrying her son, Gloria inhaled the strong presence of incense in the air and could feel it immediately start to calm her. This felt like a sanctuary, even more than this whole town had already begun to symbolize for her. "Isn't it beautiful in here?" Gloria breathed, lowering her sunglasses temporarily so that she could fully take in the sight of the large figures of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph set above the altar and the stations of the cross hung on the wall.

"Let's go sit down for a minute," Gloria murmured, setting Julio back down on his feet. "In the first pew," she instructed. She pointed her finger in the direction of the first bench in front of the altar and watched Julio scramble down the aisle ahead of her. "Don't run!"

When she reached the pew, Julio was already occupied with taking out all of the hymn books and stacking them into a small tower. Since nobody else was currently present, Gloria left him to it. She pulled down the kneeler and winced as she painfully lowered herself onto it. Down on her knees, facing the altar with the images that made her feel sure that someone was listening and somebody cared, she folded her hands together, her sunglasses held between them, and closed her eyes shut.

_God, please look after us. Help me make the right decisions as a mother and do what you want me to do. Help me to be strong. Please make it be okay-_

"Mommy?" Julio said. Grown bored with playing with the hymn books, he now was tugging at the hem of her dress.

"What?" Gloria whispered, opening a single lid to look at her son.

"Are we going to go back home?"

"Back to their home, you mean?" said Gloria, closing her eyes tightly once again. "Soon, baby. Soon. Just be quiet and give me a couple of minutes here."

"Noooo," Julio shook his head and tugged more persistently on her dress, refusing to be ignored. "To my home."

"Do you miss home?" Gloria asked, opening her eyes to stare into the huge brown eyes looking at her with both confusion and trust spelled out in their depths. Gloria sighed and pulled herself up off of her knees to sit next to him on the hard-wooden bench. She reached her arm around his shoulder and pulled him close.

"Do you miss your papi?" she asked quietly, and watched as her son automatically shrugged his little shoulders in reply. She sighed. Arturo had raised Julio from infancy and had been a near constant, and usually positive, presence in the little guy's life from the start. Arturo had played with Julio, let him ride on the top of his shoulders, and cuddled up to watch Saturday morning cartoons with him. He had also terrified the little boy the other day and shown him a side that no child should ever need to see. However, it was too much to believe that one horrifying incident would erase all the love and connection that had been forged over nearly three years. Julio loved him. Plain and simple.

"It's okay to miss him, you know," Gloria assured him. She wanted to make sure that Julio understood he wouldn't be doing anything wrong by opening up about this. That it would not be taken as a betrayal of her after what he had witnessed.

"It's not nice to hit," Julio said, looking up at his mommy with more wisdom and insight in his beautiful eyes than any toddler should ever possess.

"No, it's not," Gloria agreed. "Papi hurt mommy a lot when he did that."

"A lot, a lot?" asked Julio.

"Mhmm," Gloria nodded. "I think he is sorry though."

"And he won't do it again?"

"No, baby," Gloria replied, beginning to stroke her fingers through Julio's thick dark hair. She wished she could believe her own words. She'd been trying to come up with ultimatums and ideas that she could suggest to Arturo when she finally got the nerve to call him. Therapy, maybe medication, marriage counselling-all possible solutions she could think of that would make her husband less of a danger to her. Yet, when it all came down to it, Gloria knew she was even too scared to pick up the phone and dial him. Even if her ideas might work, she wasn't really in a position to risk going back to the same situation, and now that her son had been dragged into everything by his witness, it seemed that an uncrossable line had now been drawn.

Gloria might have forgiven him for the marks on her body with a sincere apology and resolve to do whatever it took to work on himself. But she didn't think she could ever forget the way Arturo's actions had caused her son to cower in a corner from pure unadulterated fear. She'd seen Julio flinch as Arturo had thrown raising her son in her face, suddenly turning every supposed loving gesture towards her son as a bargaining chip to express how much she owed him. In just a few precious minutes, between blows to his mother's body, Julio had heard his name spoken as a beacon of his stepfather's anger and watched his whole world explode. Now he questioned everything he had ever thought he knew.

"Baby…" Gloria said softly, realizing putting off this conversation for even as long as she had might have been a considerable mistake. "You know you didn't do anything wrong, right?"

Julio didn't say anything. He wriggled out of her arms and picked up the top book in his tower. He placed it back on the shelf.

"You didn't do anything wrong." Gloria told him. "Nothing. Papi did and said some bad things but he didn't mean them and none of it was because of you. He was mad at me, not you."

Julio paused in his work, pressing a volume of the _Catholic Book of Worship _tight against his tiny chest. "Why did you make him get mad at you?"

Gloria compressed her lips together tightly and considered the question. Her thoughts whirled back to that horrible day and the preceding events that had led to the assault. They'd argued about money. It was _always _about money. Bills piling up faster than money and Gloria getting tired of carrying the weight of it all alone. She had been wrong to blame Arturo, accuse him of not trying harder when she knew he was constantly on the search for work that would help him provide for them. He was a skilled, able-bodied worker but without citizenship or a work permit, good jobs were hard to come by. A blow to Arturo's ego and self-sustainability and one of the primary reasons they were always struggling.

"_You never take away a man's dignity by making him feel unneeded, Gloria_," her mother had once advised. Men wanted to provide. Men were supposed to take care of their family. Failing at this vital task made them feel not much like a man at all. Gloria could remember the way her father had changed once his body had become so riddled with cancer that it forced him out of job and required him nearly full-time nursing care. Being unable to care for or provide for his family had been a source of unwarranted shame for Gloria's father. And though Gloria could admit it had been wrong of her to point out Arturo's failings and make him feel inadequate when she knew he was trying as hard as one person could try, it did not excuse his extreme response.

"It doesn't matter why he was mad at me," Gloria said finally. "That doesn't make it okay for him to do what he did. You didn't do anything wrong, and mommy didn't do anything wrong, either. Daddy is sick, baby, but he does love both of us very, _very _much."

It took so much courage for Gloria to admit that it wasn't her fault and she knew she would have never treated herself with so much grace had it not been for the little boy looking up at her. Gloria knew she wasn't innocent or necessarily easy to get along with. But she would be damned if she brought up her son to think that a woman deserved to get her face bashed in just because she had said some things she shouldn't have.

"He is too sick for us to be with him right now," Gloria said softly. She held out her arms for a hug. "So, we are going to stay here."

"Until he gets better?" Julio asked, falling into her waiting arms and pressing his face against her chest.

"Something like that," Gloria murmured. She kissed the top of his crown. "We're going to spend the summer here though and we're going to have lots of fun."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," Gloria said enthusiastically. "We're going to go swimming, go for walks in the forest-"

"Are there bunny rabbits in the forest?"

"I'm sure," Gloria nodded.

"I want to find a bunny rabbit," said Julio.

"Okay, we'll try," Gloria promised. "You like it here, don't you?"

"Yeah," Julio nodded his head against her. "And I like the big kids."

"Do you?" Gloria smiled, popping a kiss on the top of his crown. "Did you have fun playing with everyone yesterday?"

"Uh huh," Julio nodded his head again. "We played outside and inside."

"Well, you'll be able to play with them a lot more," Gloria said, knowing how lucky she was to come across this family who was so welcoming to them, with so many older kids running around that still made a point to be as inclusive to the little boy as they could be.

Gloria and Julio could have wound up anywhere and been completely isolated from all other people aside for themselves. Or they could have been on their way south to Florida, to stay with Lourdes and face all of the complications that moving there would have inspired. Instead they were in this small town, surrounded by good-hearted people who were so quickly becoming their friends. Gloria smiled and turned her eyes back towards the altar. Perhaps God had begun to answer her prayers before she'd even known what to say.

"We're going to have lots of fun here," Gloria said, trying not to think about all the difficulties she still needed to confront. Her face would be healed in a few more days but she had far bigger worries than that. It was tempting to relish in the comfort of knowing she had a job and a nice room to rent, for at least the summer, but there were more decisions to be made. She couldn't hold off contacting Arturo forever. Others might disagree, but if she truly was not coming back then she felt she owed him that truth at least. She just wasn't ready yet.

"We've also got something very exciting to get ready for," Gloria added mysteriously. "But it's a secret."

"You have a secret, mommy?" Julio asked, tilting his head up eagerly.

"Yes, I do," Gloria said with a wink. "Do you want to know what it is?"

"Yeah!"

"Okay," Gloria breathed, reaching for his hand. "The secret is that mommy has a baby in her tummy!"

"Baby in your tummy?" Julio echoed.

"You're going to have a baby brother or sister," Gloria told him, pressing the toddler's hand across her abdomen. It was too early on for there to really be anything to feel, but it meant so much just to acknowledge the little life that she knew was fluttering inside her.

She'd discovered her pregnancy just a few days ago. Taking a test on a whim because she was a few days late and making the discovery that would change her life. Expecting another baby was a terrifying and confusing prospect. She was hardly in an ideal situation to welcome another child and yet she was thrilled. Near as she could figure she was about six weeks along with the baby due sometime in early April.

Arturo didn't know. She hadn't had a chance to tell him before they had fought and for that she was truly thankful. Knowing she had run off while expecting his child would have incited Arturo to pursue her more determinedly. Unlike Julio, Arturo would have legal rights to this baby and it was that truth alone that had prompted Gloria to leave the way she had the other day. She might not have found the courage to do so otherwise but protecting her baby meant protecting herself. If she could keep Arturo from ever finding out about this child she probably would, but for now, at least, there was no denying that they were all better off without him.

"Sister Ingalls? Sister?"

A young Hispanic girl walked briskly into the chapel and hurried over to them. "Oh sorry," she stammered, halting mid-stride as she caught sight of them. "I thought you were Sister Ingalls. This place is usually empty this time of day, aside from her. You haven't seen her, have you?"

"No, I'm afraid I don't know who that is," Gloria replied. Her eyes closed in on the young girl who didn't look to be much older than Nicky.

"We're brand new to town," Gloria explained. "We just got here Friday night. I'm Gloria and this is my son, Julio."

"Nice to meet you," the girl said quietly. "I'm Daya-Dayanara."

"Dayanara," Gloria repeated, a signal going off in her brain at the mention. This was Aleida's daughter, the woman Dmitri had given a job to so she could get her children back. Daya was Aleida's oldest child and Sister Ingalls was her guardian. The names all clicked together in a pattern in Gloria's mind. It was still weird to her how everyone seemed connected in a small town. You really couldn't go anywhere without running into someone you know or had at least heard rumours about. All the stories blended into one. "That's such a pretty name."

"I don't know," Daya shrugged. "I wouldn't have picked it."

She looked solemn and defeated, lost in a way that made Gloria's heart instantly go out to her. After spending the night with the liveliness of Nicky and her friends, the difference in Daya was more pronounced. She had none of their ease or simplistic joy. She just seemed tired, like the weight of the world was already on her shoulders, despite having no business doing so.

"We're staying with the Reznikovs'," Gloria explained. "Just renting a room. Do you know Nicky? I think she is about your age."

"She is a couple of grades behind me but we take some of the same classes," Daya replied. "I'm in her brother Max's grade. I'm fifteen."

"I'm three!" Julio exclaimed.

"No, you're two," Gloria shook her head. "You'll be three on your birthday, but that isn't for another month."

"How old is baby brother or sister going to be?" Julio asked curiously. He turned to Daya and announced proudly. "My mommy has a baby in her tummy."

"That's not so special," Daya said flatly. "My mom is always getting knocked up."

Gloria compressed her lips sympathetically. All she knew of this girl's situation was from rumours but her unhappiness was undeniable. Daya acted like simply speaking to them was too much to ask.

"Hey, do you think you could help me?" Gloria asked.

Daya shrugged. "I can try."

"Somebody told me that you have clothing donations here that we could rummage through. Do you know where I could find them?"

"Yeah, it's just off the office," Daya replied, pointing over her shoulder at a side door that led to a narrow hall. She sighed. "I can take you there. That's probably where Sister Ingalls is hiding anyway."

"Thank you," said Gloria. She slid her sunglasses back over her eyes and then reached for Julio's hand. She walked slowly behind Daya who lead her down the hall and into the chaplaincy office.

A middle age woman sat at the desk, typing away on an old computer. She wore a simple grey dress and wore a long veil over her short reddish hair. "Daya, hi honey. I was just getting ready to look for you."

"I was looking for you too," Daya replied. She nodded her head in Gloria's direction. "This is Gloria," she explained. "She's new to town and wanted to have a look in the donation room."

"Welcome. My name's Sister Jane Ingalls," Sister smiled brightly. She opened up a drawer at the desk and pulled out a ring of keys. "You've come at a good time," she said, getting to her feet and walking over to unlock the door where they stored their donations. "We have a lot of nice things and feel free to take anything you need."

Gloria stepped into the room behind her and her eyes widened at the amount of stuff crowded into the small room. Clothing racks and shoes were neatly organized against the wall. Clothes were folded on the table in the centre of the room. There was even some furniture and bins of old toys somebody had dropped off.

"Look, mommy! It's a dinosaur!" Julio exclaimed, working to free his tiny hand from her grip.

"Behave," Gloria reminded him. "We are still in God's house."

"But it's a pterodactyl," Julio argued, successfully breaking free of his mother and sprinting over to the bin of toys.

"Pterodactyl," Sister Ingalls chuckled. "That's very smart. Well, that at least will keep him busy while you look around."

"Yeah," Gloria said faintly, her eyes scanning every which way at everything there was to go through. "There's so much stuff. Do people really come take this all?"

"A lot of it," Sister Ingalls replied. "And what doesn't get used I drop off at different charities when I go to the city. What were you hoping to find? It's arranged by size and gender."

"Maybe some shorts and t-shirts for my son," Gloria said faintly. "He wears a size three. And if there's anything for myself?"

"Someone dropped off some maternity dresses," Daya spoke up. She had followed them into the room and was leaning up against the wall with her arms crossed. "One of them still had the price tag on."

"Would you like me to put them aside for you, Daya?" Sister Ingalls asked politely. "I think they would look lovely on you."

"No!" Daya exclaimed, her arms dropping down to her side in outrage. "I meant for her," she said, pointing at Gloria. "She's pregnant too."

"You are?" Sister said, turning to smile at Gloria.

"Yeah," Gloria nodded faintly. Her eyes were focused on Daya. She could now make out the small roundness of her belly that signified that she was with child. Maybe just a month or two more along that Gloria herself.

"You and your husband must be so pleased," Sister Ingalls said. "And this is a great town for raising a family so I hope you decide to stay a long time."

"Thank you," Gloria mumbled blushing. "It's just me now though. Me and Julio."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Sister reached up and covered her mouth with her hand. "I shouldn't assume. I just noticed you were wearing a ring."

"I am, huh," Gloria breathed, holding her left hand out and examining the simple diamond ring and gold wedding band she hadn't even considered taking off yet. "I guess I'm so used to wearing it that I don't even think about it. I just left him."

"I should have known," Sister replied.

"Why? What do you mean?" asked Gloria.

"Well, you just look like you're running from something...or someone," Sister said honestly. "You've been hurt." It was statement, not a question.

"I guess I am," Gloria said simply.

"Looking for a fresh start?" Sister asked gently.

"Just trying to get back on my feet," Gloria replied.

"I see," Sister nodded calmly. The blue eyes that looked into Gloria's, covered by the shades, were compassionate and non-judgemental. Sister quietly walked over to a stack of neatly folded pants in the corner. "Well, I'll give you my card before you go in case you need any help with that. I've done a lot of work with women's shelters and can reach out to some contacts if you need some support."

"No," Gloria shook her head. "No, I'm doing fine actually. I'm staying at a B & B up the road and I'm going to start waitressing at their restaurant too."

"Run by Galina Reznikov, right? And her husband?" At Gloria's nod, Sister Ingalls smiled. "They seem like a lovely couple. Galina is always bringing in stuff her kids have outgrown and Dmitri is just so kind. He helped Daya's mother out with a job too so you'll probably be working with her."

"Have fun with that," Daya said shortly. "I can't believe he hasn't fired her yet. On Thursday when she came over to see me, she kept complaining about how she's getting blisters from being on her feet all day."

"She's finding her way, dear," Sister told Daya gently. "Try to be patient." She carried over a small pile of an assortment of pants, skirts, and capris to Gloria. "I'm not sure if any of these will fit you but they're practically new. Some even have the tag on them."

"Thanks," Gloria said sincerely.

"That curtain there is a make-shift dressing room if you want to try anything on," Sister pointed. "I'll get you those maternity dresses to try on as well. They'll look nice in the fall when you begin to show more."

"You're very kind," Gloria said. "I really appreciate all of this." She adjusted the clothing in her arms and glanced at Julio who was playing quietly in the corner, pretending to make the dinosaur fly. "Julio?"

"Oh, leave him be," Sister offered. "I'll keep an eye on him."

"Thanks," Gloria said again. She disappeared behind the curtain and set the clothes down. Reaching for the hem of her dress, Gloria pulled it over her head and caught sight of her rings again as she did.

Pursing her lips, Gloria held her hand up closer for inspection and then stared at her reflection in the mirror. It symbolized a promise that had already been broken. Arturo had never worn his ring but Gloria's had never left her hand since their wedding day. She felt a dangerous thrill down her spine as she considered sliding them off. If Arturo was here to see her, he'd have taken it as a sign that she was looking for someone else, but for Gloria, removing it signaled liberation. She pulled both rings off of her hand and slid them into the zippered pouch of her handbag. Arturo wasn't there to stop her.

"Okay, I think I've found some things," Gloria announced, pulling back the curtain. She was dressed in her purple sundress yet again, and had folded up the clothes, both to take and leave, into two neat piles. "Where is everybody?"

Daya was the only person still there that Gloria could see. Sitting in a chair with her legs drawn up, doodling on a page in her notebook. "Sister went to get him a drink from the kitchen," Daya said simply. "She said to tell you that those clothes on that rack by the door are the ones that will fit him."

"Thanks," Gloria breathed. "This is much easier to do without him underfoot. Sister Ingalls seems like a wonderful person. She must really look out for you, huh?"

"She's okay," Daya shrugged. "Won't let me go out at night without telling her exactly where I'll be, won't let me have boys sleepover. She has a lot of rules."

"That's because she cares," Gloria replied, walking over to the rack where the clothes for Julio were. "She doesn't want anything bad to happen to you."

"I'm already pregnant," Daya pointed out cynically. "What else could happen?"

"I don't know," Gloria said honestly. She turned her back on Daya to begin to shift through a row of t-shirts. "Have you decided what you're going to do about it?"

"We're Catholic, it's not like we exactly have a whole lot of options," Daya pointed out flatly. She set down her pencil and notebook and sighed. "I haven't even told my mom yet. Sister Ingalls keeps talking to me about adoption, but...I just don't know."

"Don't let anyone push you into an adoption if it's not what you want to do," Gloria said sternly, whirling around to look Daya in the eye. "That's the hardest thing you can ever do. So, if you do it, in needs to be your decision alone."

"I don't know what I want to do," Daya replied. "Is it really as hard as people say it is to have a baby?"

"It's very hard," Gloria replied. She turned back to the clothes and pulled a green t-shirt with a dinosaur on the front off of the rack. "But it's also very rewarding. Becoming a mother alerted me to more fear than I ever knew was possible, and also has made me happier than I've ever been."

"How can it do both?" asked Daya curiously.

"It just does," Gloria laughed. "I promise you Daya, if you want to keep this baby, then you will find your way."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I don't know, I just am," Gloria shrugged. She flashed Daya another smile. "It's what I keep telling myself. I am not at all in a position to be having another baby right now and I'm scared out of my mind, but a part of me has to believe that everything will be okay."

Daya nodded. "I think it will be," she agreed softly.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks Johanna-002 for your help and thank you to everyone who reviewed. I'm so glad you're enjoying. **

Two weeks later, found Gloria hot on her feet managing several tables all on her own as she worked through the predictable dinner rush that was always a pleasant mixture of regulars and people just passing through the town. Extending her left arm, she used the crook of her elbow to balance the plates she was clearing off of a vacated table of four. The bill still lay flat on the tabletop and Gloria had to smile at the _"have a good day!" _one of the patrons had scribbled on the bottom of the cheque.

She'd only been in this town for a little while but already felt like she belonged there. She recognized most of the faces who walked through the restaurant's door and Galina had told her she'd received a lot of positive feedback about their newest waitress. Gloria's relief at having reliable work and the opportunity for this second chance seemed to radiate a lightness within her, and once her injuries had healed her confidence had soared.

Gloria lifted the final plate from the table and caught sight of a crisp five-dollar bill tucked underneath. She slipped it into the front pocket of her waitress pouch, delighting at how thick the wad of cash inside it felt. The bottom of her pocket felt heavy with change. It had been a busy night, with time passing quickly, and her sore feet were a small price to pay for how well she was doing. Smiling to herself, Gloria adjusted the plates in her arms and then hurried back to the kitchen to drop off her dirty dishes and pick up the order for her next customers.

The kitchen was always chaotic. Norma and Gina banged out orders in rapid succession, while Yuri and Maxim were on dishes duty, and Galina was usually on hand to help wherever she was needed. The back door was wide open, attempting to let in a non-existent breeze coming off of the lake this hot night. Gloria could make out Galina and Dmitri standing further down the deck with one another. She dumped the plates into the large basin of sudsy water, earning a loud groan from the boy sitting on top of an upside-down milk carton, his cell phone in his hand.

"Are there many more tables out there to do?" Maxim asked with a sigh.

"A few," Gloria winked at him. "I'm going to bring you the highchair tray to wipe down in a minute too. These people might as well have brought a racoon in to dinner.

"I'll save that one for Yuri," Maxim replied, stuffing his phone into the pocket of his shorts and then standing up in front of the sink.

"Good idea," Gloria replied. She eyed Norma, as she finished plating an order and then automatically pressed her palm on the bell to alter the servers that a table was up.

"Why you ringing that bell when Gloria is already in here?" Aleida complained, swinging open the door to the kitchen just as Gloria was balancing two plates on one arm and a third plate in her other hand. "Like I don't get enough steps in this place already?"

"Never mind, I can still use you," Gloria spoke up in Norma's defense. "Do you mind grabbing those last two plates for me?"

"Yes, but I will anyway," Aleida said shortly. She picked up the final two plates of Gloria's order and then followed her through the swinging door that Gloria pushed open with a bump of her hip.

"How are you doing?" Gloria asked.

"Fucking melting," Aleida complained. "Why does she always have you working inside?" The tavern was divided into two sections in the summertime. The inside housed a bar and several small tables, but a lot of people opted to eat outside on the patio to enjoy the view of the lake.

"Because she hates you," Gloria giggled.

"What a bitch," Aleida grumbled, causing several raised heads as they passed through the dining room. Gloria set her three plates down in front of the right people and then took the two Aleida was carrying for her.

"I'll be back with some more water," Gloria promised her table. "Is there anything else I can get for you?"

"Can I get some extra tartar sauce for my fish?"

"Of course, be right back," Gloria replied. She stepped back from the table and motioned for Aleida to follow her. "I'll switch with you tomorrow," she offered. "I could use some sun anyway."

"Or I'll just call in," Aleida yawned.

"No way, _Mami_," Gloria shook her head. "You are not allowed to miss work. Don't you have a meeting with the social worker next Tuesday?"

"What do you care?" asked Aleida. She followed Gloria into the kitchen and watched her spoon some tartar sauce into a little serving dish and then fill up a pitcher of water.

"Don't you need to show her you're dependable?" asked Gloria. "Missing work is not going to help your case."

"Alright, fine, I'll be here," Aleida grumbled. "So long as you promise to take the tables with all the noisy brats and the weirdos."

"Deal," Gloria smiled. They walked back into the dining room together. Gloria finished taking care of her table and then poured another glass of water for herself.

"First time I've sat down all night," Gloria said, sinking onto a barstool next to Aleida. She took a long gulp of water. Her work was becoming routine. Soon her tables would clear out and then she could do the floors quickly before heading home to tuck Julio into bed.

They were still renting a room from the Reznikovs', although Gloria had begun to think about more permanent plans now that she had decided to remain in this town or the foreseeable future. It worked well for now though. Galina and she had negotiated the price for a long-term rental and Gloria was able to pay Nicky or one of her friends to babysit on a rotating basis until either she or Galina got back to take over. Mornings were spent trying to convince Julio to sleep in as late as she could and then playing together outdoors until it was time to pass him off and get ready for work. She still hadn't made any form of contact with Arturo and the last time she and Lourdes had spoken; her aunt had said he'd given up phoning her as well.

"What are you doing tonight?" asked Aleida.

"Not sure," Gloria shrugged. "It's Saturday, probably just hang out with the family and whoever decides to drop by."

"You should come over," said Aleida. "I need help cleaning up. The social worker could come by anytime to check on me."

"Your place that bad?" Gloria raised her eyebrows. "It's just you."

"No, but I have a bunch of laundry to do," Aleida replied. "I'll pay you in pizza and beer."

"I could go for some pizza," said Gloria, taking another sip from her water glass.

"That's right," Aleida nodded. "You're knocked up."

The news had spread like a wildfire once Gloria had let Julio in on her little secret. Gloria hadn't been gone more than a minute to drop off her bags of new-to-them clothes in their bedroom and return to the kitchen, when she discovered that her son had already ratted her out to everyone in the house. Galina had led them in congratulating her, her lips twisted in a smug smile as she admitted to having already had her own suspicions.

"_You barely ate my food_," she had explained. _"Nobody does that unless they're not feeling well, and yet you still have a glow about you." _

Glowing was the last word Gloria would have described herself with. She'd felt crummy, exhausted, and beaten down, with the bruises to prove it. Though she took Galina's insistence that there was a shine in her to heart and had been overwhelmed with relief that the Reznikovs' took her expecting as something to be celebrated, rather than deciding she was too much of a gamble to proceed with hiring. Of course, this was coming from the people who already employed Aleida Diaz.

"Sometimes I almost forget there's somebody in there," Gloria said, smiling as she pressed the palm of her hand up against her middle. "There's been so much excitement."

"What excitement?" Aleida rolled her eyes. "This has got to be the most boring fucking place on earth. And you're from New York City. I'd kill to move there if I didn't have to stay close to get the kids back."

"How's it going with that?" Gloria asked. "It's been a while since you gave me an update. You've got the apartment, you've got a job, what else do you have to do before they give them back?"

"They want me to take a fucking parenting class! Can you believe it?" Aleida complained. "I swear, they come up with this stuff just to mess with me. The social worker is probably going to bring it up again when she drops by this week."

"That's not so bad," Gloria shrugged. "If I were you, I'd go ahead and get myself registered before she has to get on your case again. Show some initiative."

"Ugh," Aleida groaned, tossing her head back dramatically. "You wanna take it for me?"

"No, _mija_," Gloria laughed, holding her hand up. "I've got my own problems!"

"Yeah, but you've only got two problems," Aleida complained. "And Julio is still young, and cute, and shit, and I haven't seen you barf once and that's like in the pregnant woman's handbook. I've got five problems and some of them are big, and mean, with shitty attitudes, making the same mistakes I did."

"Okay, first of all, stop calling our kids problems," Gloria exclaimed, "that wasn't what I meant! And I told you I met Daya. She seemed like a sweet kid."

"Well, what were you talking about, then?" asked Aleida.

"You mean besides starting a new job, in a new place, and dealing with your crazy ass every night?" Gloria said, squinting at her. "I've got to figure out how to tell my husband I want a divorce in a way that isn't going to make him try to hunt me down and kill me."

"I thought you said he didn't know where you moved?" asked Aleida.

"He doesn't," Gloria admitted. She crossed her legs and sighed. "But that don't mean it's still not scary."

"Hey, I saw that busted eye you were sporting when you first got here. Trust me, you're doing the right thing," Aleida said, patting her arm.

"Yeah, I know," Gloria nodded. She flashed her friend a reassuring smile. "We'll be fine."

She really believed that. She could sense the building blocks of life falling into place in this new town. Already she had friends that felt more like family than her real family to her, a job, and was safe. Julio was having fun every single day and they didn't have to walk on eggshells anymore, Even having a baby all by herself didn't seem like an impossible feat here.

"Sure, you'll be fine," Aleida agreed. "So, are you going to come over tonight?

"If I came tonight Julio would have to come though," Gloria reminded her.

"It doesn't matter," Aleida rolled her eyes. "You can't drink. You're already boring."

"Gee, thanks," Gloria said dryly.

"Don't worry. It'll be fun. I love kids," Aleida said.

"No, you don't," Gloria laughed.

"No, you're right, I don't," Aleida conceded. "I barely like my own kids. But I'm sure I can find a movie or something for him to watch."

"Alright, just for a little while though," Gloria agreed. "I want him to bed at a decent hour."

A few people walked in then and Aleida left to go to take care of them. Gloria smiled as she watched her friend drag her feet across the dining room floor. Although she wouldn't be able to explain why, she honestly had grown to really like Aleida Diaz in the short span they had worked together, much to Galina's chagrin.

Aleida wasn't the easiest person to get along with but Gloria had always been attracted to broken souls. Aleida made it easy to condemn her, but Gloria felt she understood her. Unless you've come from a hard life, or lived a hard life, you couldn't really appreciate her thought process. Aleida talked candidly of her past love affairs and the contempt she often felt for her children which factored into her mothering, and repulsed women, like Galina, whose entire world revolved around the little lives she'd created. Aleida seemed to have very little remorse for the destruction she had caused her children. It was completely understandable why Daya resented her.

"Norma made too much so I thought I'd bring this out to you." Gloria turned her head away from Aleida to eye the platter in Galina's hand as she set it down at the bar for her. Grilled chicken, Caesar salad, and a golden piece of garlic bread covered in a thick layer of melted cheese.

"Norma, did not make too much," Gloria chided her, shaking her head. "This is a full course meal!"

"I thought you might be hungry," Galina admitted, hoisting herself up onto Aleida's vacant bar stool. "It's been a busy night so you probably didn't get the chance to eat."

"I didn't," Gloria conceded, as she reached for a rolled-up set of cutleries. "But I did good tonight so it's all worth it." She patted her stuffed waitress pouch with a smile.

"At least your appetite is coming back," Galina said thoughtfully, watching closely as Gloria sliced into the tender chicken breast and took a large bite. "In my early pregnancies there were days I couldn't lift my head off the pillow for being so sick, but you seem really well. We're not working you too hard, are we?"

Gloria blushed faintly at the scrutiny she could feel herself under. She swallowed the chicken in her mouth and then reached for her water glass. "Of course not. I feel great. And I've never had a job before where the boss brought me free lunches and tried to get me off my feet every chance she could."

It was Galina's turn to blush. "Well, I just want you to be happy here," she admitted. "It can't be easy starting over in a new place where you don't know anybody. I know about that, but at least when I left Russia, I had Dmitri for support."

"That's the nicest thing I think I've heard you say about him so far," Gloria smiled. She picked up the piece of garlic bread and bit in. Now that she had begun eating, she realized how hungry she had been. Her stomach growled imploringly, wanting more faster than she could put it in.

"He's bothering me to go out with him tonight," Galina frowned. "Just the two of us."

"That's sweet of him," said Gloria. "You should go."

"Well, what are you doing?" asked Galina. "You should ask me to watch Julio in front of him. Make it seem very urgent so that Dmitri can't be mad about me cancelling on him."

"Don't put me in the middle like that!" Gloria exclaimed, swatting her playfully on the arm. "Besides, I think you need this. He's your husband and he's not horrible. When was the last time you two really talked?"

"We talk all the time," Galina replied.

"You argue all the time," Gloria corrected. "And what's worse is that I think you actually seem to enjoy it, sweetie."

"It helps me get out my frustrations," Galina admitted.

"Okay, maybe I'm wrong to suggest you two talk more," Gloria said, picking at the salad with her fork. "I don't want to be responsible for a divorce. You should go to a movie. You don't have to talk at the movies. Just consider it a chance to relax and not worry about anybody else for a little while."

"Well, I guess I've got no choice considering you aren't going to bail me out," Galina sighed, tapping her nails against the tabletop.

"You can come find me when you get home if you need to vent," Gloria promised.

"I may have to," said Galina. "I'm glad you decided to stay on. That house is too big for just me and the kids."

She didn't elaborate on just how lonely she had been before Gloria and Julio had come to town. It didn't make sense, when her home was occupied with four kids of her own with all their friends coming and going at all hours of the day. Galina was surrounded by people all the time but there was something to be said about having another adult around for company at night when everyone else had already gone to sleep. Dmitri had never been a sufficient fill for that.

"I'm glad I am too," Gloria smiled. "I think I would be lonely if me and Julio were all by ourselves." She had considered finding an apartment or something to rent in the area that could be hers, but when she had brought it up Galina had merely offered to lower her price to accommodate a long-term stay. It helped them both out and since Dmitri almost never spent the night, they had begun to feel like simply two single roommates sharing a house with their kids. It was the perfect situation for them right now.

"It won't just be you and Julio for very long…" Galina teased. "Did you call the Doctor's office I told you about?"

"Not yet," Gloria sighed. "Monday, I promise I will."

"You really should have already been seen."

"Yeah, I know, I've been procrastinating," Gloria admitted. "But I'm going over to Aleida's after we close tonight to help her make the place look presentable for when her social worker comes to check, so I'm sure, after that, I'm going to feel like I've got it all together."

"Oh, so that's why you're telling me to get lost tonight," Galina pursed her lips playfully. "You're choosing her over me?"

"Well, I'd invite you, but you can barely stand the sight of her here," Gloria reminded her.

"Can you blame me?" said Galina. She swivelled her bar stool around to glare out the large window where she could see Aleida smoking out on the deck. "I've told her a million times not to do that. Nobody needs to breathe in her second hand smoke when they are walking in."

"I'll remind her for you," Gloria said, reaching over to pat the hand still tapping irritatingly against the wood. "I think my approach works better on her because frankly, I think she just likes to annoy you at this point."

"I think you're right," Galina sighed. Her eyes were still out the window, watching three figures walk up the stairs and pass Aleida on their way inside.

"Latecomers," Gloria commented, stealing a glance at the watch strapped around her wrist. "I didn't think we'd get anyone else so close to closing."

"It's Sam and Katya Healy," Galina said, arching her back up against the bar.

"Lida's parents?" asked Gloria. The pretty little blonde girl was over at the Reznikov's house nearly everyday to play with Vasily and she didn't usually go home until Galina insisted on walking her there. She had never met the girl's parents though.

"Mhmm," Galina nodded. "Well, Sam is her stepfather, as Lida will remind anyone who makes that mistake."

"Because she doesn't like him?"

"Not really," Galina shrugged. "Their relationship has always seemed very awkward. Although, from what I've seen, Sam seems like the superior parent of the two. Katya has a cold heart, in my opinion."

"Interesting," Gloria murmured, eyeing the pair as they stepped over the threshold. Sam placed his hand on his wife's shoulder, but quick as a flash Katya shifted out of his reach. Everywhere she looked so far in this town, Gloria saw examples of strained relationships hanging on by a mere thread. People paired together that didn't even seem to like each other. It was startling to realize that these dynamics survived when her marriage had been blown apart.

"Do you want me to serve them so you can finish eating?" Galina asked, lifting her hand in greeting.

"No," Gloria shook her head. "I'll do it."

Katya had scurried over to a table by the window without even glancing in the direction or sparing a second's acknowledgement for the woman who cared for her daughter a vast majority of the day. Lida spent more time at Galina's house than she did with her own family. Sam seemed friendlier. He smiled and waved his hand in hello.

"Gorgeous evening."

"Breathtaking," Galina agreed. "You should eat your meal out on the patio. The bugs aren't even bad tonight."

"Katya already said no when I asked her," Sam explained.

"I shouldn't be surprised," Galina said dryly, sharing a knowing look with Gloria. She reached out and laid her hand on her shoulder suddenly. "Well, Sam, this is Gloria. I don't think the two of you have met yet?"

"I haven't had the pleasure," Sam replied, extending his arm. Gloria shook his strong hand and smiled as he welcomed her to their town.

"I better get back there and make sure my sons aren't slacking," Galina announced, motioning to the kitchen. "They want to get paid but Maxim has seemed more interested in his phone than anything tonight." She rolled her eyes. "Make sure to tip Gloria well, Sam, she's worth it!"

Galina walked back into the kitchen which had mostly been cleaned up aside from the things that still needed to stay out until they closed. The deep freezer was open and she could hear rummaging around in it, which she assumed to be Norma or Gina. The kitchen itself was empty. The door still wide open to let out the heat from the ovens. The staff liked to congregate out there for breaks when they weren't busy.

"Why are you smiling?" Dmitri asked, emerging from the freezer with a chocolate fudgesicle in one hand. Their sons kept a regular supply of frozen treats stashed away in there to feast on during their shifts. "Is it because your boyfriend is here? I saw Sam's truck drive up."

"I'm not allowed to smile?" Galina asked, crossing her arms across her chest.

"You can," Dmitri replied, licking a drip of the melted fudgesicle off of his hairy knuckles. "It just looks strange on your face."

"What's that supp-"

"Hey, Mrs. Reznikov!"

A second head popped out of the freezer. The friend of her sons, Joel Luschek, stepping out with a fudgesicle in his hand.

"Joel, what on earth do you think you are doing?"

"Hanging out," Joel replied. He bit into his treat, rather than lick, an act that made Galina wince for his teeth as she stared at him in annoyance.

"You know you aren't supposed to be back here," Galina reminded him. "We've had this conversation before."

"I'm not in the way," Joel argued. "I'm so quiet that you didn't even know I was here."

"Because you snuck in the back door when I wasn't looking," Galina said flatly, shooting a dirty look at Dmitri for undermining her. Yuri and Maxim had a knack for slacking off when their friend was around and she expected them to treat this job like any other job, regardless of it being their parent's business. Most places didn't allow your friends to hang around and distract you whenever you got bored.

"I'm not disturbing them," Joel said, as though he could read her mind. "Ask him," he motioned to Dmitri. "I've barely said two words to them the whole time."

"He really isn't, Galina," Dmitri spoke up. "The boys just went to take the garbage out. They're working."

"Then what's the point of you being here?" asked Galina.

"I was getting on my mom's nerves," Joel said casually, taking another bite of the fudgesicle. "She told me to find somewhere else to be for awhile, so is it okay if I sleepover at your house tonight?"

"I already said it was okay," Dmitri spoke up.

"Then why are even bothering to pretend to ask me?" Galina rolled her eyes. "

"Your husband said you like to make all the decisions," Joel replied.

"Well you do," Dmitri protested, at the look of incredulity his wife flashed him. This was one of the most irritating things about him. After leaving her to carry the entire parenting load by herself for almost the entirety of their children's lives, suddenly he was interested in developing closer bonds with his kids. He tried to win them over by indulging them where their mother often wouldn't.

"Ma, is it okay if we leave with Joel now?" Yuri pleaded. He and Maxim had just returned from outside.

"The restaurant doesn't close for another half hour and another table just came in so there will be more dishes," Galina reminded them, turning away from Dmitri though she still had several things she wanted to say. She didn't feel like saying them in front of her sons and their friend, however, deciding then and there that a night out with just her husband might serve her well indeed.

"I'll do them later," Dmitri spoke up, winking at his sons. "Now that you've banished me over here, I might as well save myself something to do tonight."

Sleeping over at the house had only lasted for a couple of nights once the mosquitoes cleared away and then he was back to staying upstairs in the tavern. Nobody acted like there was anything odd about this. Their children were used to this strange arrangement and couldn't really look back on a time when things had ever been different. Dmitri and Galina had always been able to come up with excuses to convince themselves that there was no other alternative to sleeping apart. Before it had been small children always crawling into bed with mama and leaving no room for their father. Now, what had become a place to crash when Dmitri stayed late to work and was too tired to come home, had become a permanent arrangement. They didn't know how to be together and even the prospect of going out just themselves for an evening felt as awkward as two almost strangers attending their first date.

"Sounds serious," said Joel.

"Okay, out" Galina exclaimed, pointing at the open door from which they had come. "All three of you, boys. Mrs. Luschek isn't the only mother who can tell her children to _'go be somewhere else for awhile'_."

"Does this mean we can go to the lake?" Maxim asked, already untying his apron from around his waist.

"Yes," Dmitri nodded. "Have fun. Your mother and I will be out late tonight."


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you so much for the reviews. And thank you Johanna-002 for the help. **

"I'm not staying here all night, you know," Galina protested, as she followed her husband reluctantly down the carpeted hallway of a high-end hotel.

"Shush, I know that," Dmitri rolled his eyes. The room key in his hand, Dmitri glanced at the numbers posted above the doors until he stopped in front of room 105. Swiping the card to buzz them open, Dmitri stepped inside and dropped the carry-on bag, he had surprised packed for her, onto the floor.

"How are we affording this?" Galina crossed her arms over her chest, though she couldn't help but gape at the room they'd just entered. Everything was done in pure white and blush pink. A canopy king sized bed, twin arm chairs, a deep soaker tub, and sliding glass doors that walked out to a clear blue swimming pool.

"It's fine," Dmitri shrugged, watching his wife carefully while she eyed the bottle of red wine with two glasses on the table warily. "Things have been so chaotic lately that I thought we deserved this. Even if we can't spend the night, we can relax and have some time to ourselves here for a few hours."

"Isn't that the opposite of what we've been trying to do lately?" asked Galina. She walked over to the bed and plopped herself down onto the plush mattress, running the palm of her hand against the soft duvet. "You're the one who decided to move out to spend the least amount of time with me as possible. I never asked you to do that."

She watched as Dmitri walked toward her and she swallowed nervously. Her mouth felt parched and she ran her tongue across her lips to moisten them. Though she had expected sex to be the agenda, as it was whenever Dmitri requested time alone with her, she hadn't expected him to go this far out of his way. Usually it was quickies at the Tavern once they'd closed up for the night, and maybe a little television afterward. However, it had been a considerable while since they'd even mustered up the energy or desire to do even that.

Yet, tonight, once the restaurant was locked up and they'd said goodbye to Gloria and Aleida, Dmitri had led her to his old pick up truck. _Were they going to a movie? _No. Dmitri had driven them out of their sleepy little town and down the same country road Gloria and Julio had travelled, until they'd arrived at a small city about an hour away.

"You didn't tell me to move out but you made me feel so unwelcome in my own home that there really was no other alternative," Dmitri replied calmly. He watched Galina bristle in response and shook his head. "I didn't bring you here to argue. Why don't we both have a drink? I ordered your favourite."

He picked up the tall bottle of a very dry red. The cork was already popped in preparation for them. Dmitri poured a generous glass of the crimson drink and handed it to his wife. Then he poured a much smaller amount into the second glass for himself. He wasn't a wine drinker. He didn't even enjoy alcohol all that much. But he wanted to share some with Galina right now.

"You're trying to get me drunk," Galina complained, taking a large sip from her glass nonetheless. The wine stained her lips and the back of her hand as she brushed it over her lips. "It is good," she conceded reluctantly, before taking another sip.

"I know things haven't been good between us for a long time," Dmitri said, sinking down onto the bed beside her. He held his wine glass with both hands but did not drink from it.

"That's an understatement," Galina scoffed.

"I blame the kids," Dmitri said. "Nothing is harder than having kids. They tired you out and are so stressful-"

"How would you know?" Galina asked, clenching her glass a little more tightly. Dmitri had a nasty habit of blaming their children for the problems in their marriage and she absolutely despised when he did that. Her children were the only good things that had come from their relationship. She had never understood how Dmitri could be so dismissive of them. If anything, his reluctance to be an involved father had only ever added to her bitterness.

"I'm around. I've seen it," Dmitri protested. "I don't do as much as you because you're the mother, that's _your_ job, and I shouldn't have to. But it's not like I do nothing. "

"You're like a child. I have to nag at you to do anything, and you're right, you don't do as much as I do." In his mind, Galina knew he made perfect sense. She clenched her jaw and took another sip of her wine.

"You should be used to that by now," Dmitri replied smoothly. "That's no reason to get so angry. Anyway, consider this a peace offering. Truce?"

He held his glass up to her and Galina rolled her eyes before clinking their glasses together. She swallowed another mouthful of wine down with her frustrations and enjoyed the way it made her cheeks burn. She didn't know if it was the alcohol or the reality of being far away from her children and responsibilities, if even only for a little, but already she felt herself beginning to relax.

Standing up she walked over to the window and looked at the pool. In small doses, perhaps she could learn to really enjoy the time to herself, and the escape away from their regular life. She downed the final drink in her cup and looked over at her husband. In this moment, he annoyed her less, too.

"If you had warned me what you had planned, I would have brought a swimsuit."

"There's one for you in the bag," Dmitri informed. "I told Nicky to pack your stuff this afternoon when I told her where we were going tonight."

"How very creepy of you."

"No, she was happy," Dmitri insisted. "All the kids were. It's reassuring for them to see us taking some time for ourselves to try and work on things. Nobody wants our marriage to survive more than they do."

"Did they tell you that?"

"It's obvious," Dmitri replied. "No kids want their parents to get a divorce.

"Whose talking about divorce?" Galina asked, furrowing her brows. "I've never suggested that was a possibility to them. I don't want a divorce." She surprised even herself at how certain she sounded.

Making her way across the room, she poured herself another glass of wine and picked up the overnight bag. She paid no attention to Dmitri who was watching her closely, looking as though there were still several things he still wanted to say.

"Then what do you want?" he asked finally.

Galina sighed. "I'm fine with the way things are. Let's not waste this night talking about things that are just going to stress both of us out. I want to go swimming." She unzipped the bag he had brought. Inside was her favourite swimsuit. A one-piece, black and white, with a skirt for added modesty. Underneath that was her makeup bag, complete with her toothpaste and toothbrush.

"I thought you said we weren't spending the night?" Galina asked, huffing as she set aside her things. Reaching the bottom, she pulled out a silky, red negligee that she had never seen before. The price tags were still on it and Galina pursed her lips in confusion as she held it up. "Please tell me my daughter didn't pack _this_. Or she and I are going to have to have a very long talk about boundaries."

"It's a gift from your husband," Dmitri corrected her. "And forget the swimming, we can go do that after breakfast in the morning. You should go put that on for me."

Galina squeezed the balls of her hands into fists, creasing the delicate fabric of the lingerie. "I don't want to. And I told you I can't spend the night here. You said we were just going out for a few hours."

"Can't or won't?"

"Excuse me?"

"We_ can_ spend the night," Dmitri countered. "Our kids will be fine for one night. We can call them to check in later if you're really that concerned."

"Vasily is too young for me to be away all night." She knew it was a stupid excuse the minute it left her mouth, but it was out now and she couldn't take it back.

"He's ten," Dmitri groaned, narrowing his eyes at her. "Besides, Gloria will be there. You've done enough for her that I'm sure she'll return the favour if they need anything. Why are you being so difficult about this? It's always a hassle with you."

"I-"

"Never mind," Dmitri shook his head and rubbed an exhausted hand over his face. "Forget it, Galina. I don't know what your problem is. Any other woman would be overjoyed."

Galina clenched her teeth together and sat down flat on the hotel floor. She leaned her back against the bed and tilted her head up to look at her husband. He was angry and frustrated, understandably. She knew she wasn't the easiest person to get along with, but why was it always back on her? Why was she always to blame for the state of their marriage? He never took accountability for his part, instead he always just said, "you should be used to it" as if somehow that made everything magically okay.

Fact of the matter was, Galina did feel guilty and she felt her insides begin to twist anxiously. Dmitri had always, from day one, been more into her than she was to him and this was just another example of that truth. He had brought her here hoping for a night of romance, and all she could think was how this wasn't what she would consider a good time. A fun night out, in her mind, didn't really include him. She'd have loved to have this beautiful suite all to herself, an evening to just prop her feet up and read a good book in solitude.

"I just can't do this anymore!" Dmitri said finally "You've got to be the coldest, most frustrating woman on the planet." He fell back onto the bed, his legs still dangling over the edge towards the floor where she sat.

Galina didn't know what to say to any of that. Over their many long years together he had often reached this brink, and usually Galina conceded to just give him what he wanted to relieve some of the tension between them and get him to cut her some slack for a little bit.

It was always nice once they got going. She never rolled over once it ended and wished she hadn't done that, but there wasn't much more to say about it than that. She could just as easily do without and not miss it. She slept with him because it was the bare minimum requirement that he demanded to continue in this marriage, but it was getting harder and harder to indulge him. And being here in this beautiful hotel suite, with no distractions and nothing stopping them from giving into one another, it was impossible to hide the truth that she simply did not want to.

"I'm sorry," she murmured apologetically, reaching up and rubbing the inside of his leg a couple times as it dangled over the bed beside her. It seemed like the only appropriate thing to do. She was sorry: sorry that she couldn't be what he wanted her to be. She couldn't change how she felt though.

Dmitri kicked her hand away and grunted intelligibly. Galina sighed and turned her focus onto the items scattered around at her feet. Her possessions packed for her, for a surprise night in a lavish hotel with her husband. Dmitri was right that any other woman would be thrilled at the gesture. It just wasn't like that for them. It never really had been. They both had settled, entering into an arrangement of a marriage where both had kept their ends of the deal. Now, it appeared that wasn't good enough. Dmitri wanted more and Galina didn't have anything left to give. Their union felt as if it had completely sucked her dry.

_**Endure and you will fall in love**_**. **It was the proverb he had quoted to her on their wedding day. They had the endurance part down. Their marriage had been more taxing and exhausting than running any marathon could ever be. Every day had been work, and none of it had ever been wonderful. They'd built a family, and there'd been joy along the way, but it was nothing that anyone ever would have dreamed about. She'd married him for convenience and Dmitri had naively expected her to fall madly in love with him.

"I think it's over, Galina." The words spoken so simply and quietly that she wasn't sure at first if she had heard him correctly.

"No…." Galina squeezed her eyes shut as though to block out the words and their meaning. Subconsciously her hand was already reaching for the negligee, preparing to do the bare minimum to keep Dmitri satisfied and where he was meant to be.

"We can't keep doing this," Dmitri persisted, propping himself up on his elbows.

"Dmitri-"

"I want a wife who smiles at me when I come in the door. Who doesn't cringe when I kiss her," Dmitri said, staring down at the duvet so that he wouldn't have to make eye contact while he spoke. "How long do we keep going in circles until one of us gets the courage to say enough is enough. I mean, we barely tolerate one another."

"That's because we've been together so many years and anyone would get on your nerves after all that time together," Galina said dismissively.

"Not anyone," Dmitri argued. "Not if it was the right person."

"Is this some sort of mid-life crisis?" Galina asked impatiently. "All of a sudden you're willing to turn your back on your marriage vows and betray your family because you want to go out in search of _'the right person' _who doesn't exist?"

"I didn't say that,' Dmitri replied. "I brought you here today because I wanted to work on our relationship and get what I need from _you_, because I married _you_, but _you_ have absolutely no interest in that. You're not leaving me a whole lot of options."

"Why is this all on me?" Galina exclaimed. "All you want to talk about is what you need, like nobody else matters. You want to sulk about not getting enough attention from me instead of being grateful that you married a woman who gives absolutely everything she has to _your _children."

"Yeah, that's about all you've been good for," Dmitri said sarcastically. "And it's not good enough."

Galina sucked in her breath and felt a lump forming in her throat. "I'm sorry you feel that way," she snapped, "I can assure you that you have hardly met my standards over the years either." She could feel her heart racing, her palms were getting sweaty, and she felt a flush over her entire body, as her temper rose within. He made her so angry. The stress and demands he ignited were exactly why she generally avoided getting into any sort of meaningful conversation with him.

"I just think there is something _wrong _with you," Dmitri said sternly. "You make it so hard to _love_ you and you make me feel so unloved."

"Because I don't love you!" Galina snapped angrily. She caught the look of hurt and surprise on her husband's face and compressed her lips together tightly, as though trying to hold back the words that had already slipped past them. But it was too late. She'd already said them- the damage had been done. There was no holding back anymore.

"Why would I love someone who left me to do everything on my own? Who couldn't even be bothered to show up at the hospital and hold my hand when I was giving birth to his children? Who treated me like a maid? Who says the things you say to me? Do you think it's a turn on to be insulted?"

"You insult me everyday," Dmitri retorted.

"Because I am sick and tired of the way you've treated me all of these years and I have had enough!" Galina exclaimed. "Maybe there was a time when I could have been what you wanted, but _you_ fell short. This was not the agreement that we had. You were supposed to provide, support and honor me. Those were our wedding vows; in case you can't remember. And what did you do? You left me. You let me down. You didn't provide for our family, I did!"

"You are so full of it!"

"Oh, really?" she challenged him. "Did I not go to work in a fucking back breaking factory every single night when the kids were in bed after you invested _everything_ we had into shoddy businesses and lost your third job in just as many years? If it wasn't for me, we'd probably be on the streets! Don't even get me started about the time you tried to get rich quick doing bids for the RUSSIAN MAFIA, leading us to pack up the entire family and move to the middle of nowhere in the first place just to get away from all the drama. I should have left you then!"

"I wish you had!" Dmitri snapped at her. "Would have made my life a hell of a lot easier!" He got off the bed and pulled himself up to his fullest height. Shaking with fury he stopped over to the glass door overlooking the pool and glared out. "If I had my wedding ring, I'd toss it out the window and not give a damn!"

"You don't have it because you stopped wearing it because you don't care," Galina said lazily. "You haven't cared since damn near the beginning. Don't turn this on me and make me the bad guy. When I got pregnant with Yuri, you're the one who checked out. You checked out and now, nearly two decades later you want to check back in and accuse me of not giving you what you need? That's pathetic and you know it." She angrily began to shove everything back into the bag. "And just so you know, that ring is gold and worth _something_. I'd at least hock it, if I were you."

"Is that what you're planning to do with yours?" Dmitri asked.

"I don't know," Galina shrugged, glancing down at her left hand where she had always faithfully worn her simple gold wedding band and engagement ring.

Dmitri sighed, his focused out the window. "It didn't have to end this way."

"Well, If I'd had my way, I'd be home in my bed with a cup of tea and a book right about now. You insisted on taking me out and now here we are."

"Yes, here we are," Dmitri echoed, throwing his hands up in the air in irritation. "This beautiful, romantic room on a perfect evening. I'm sure it's your worst nightmare come to life."

"That isn't what I meant," Galina replied, exhaling loudly in a note of frustration. She looked up at him and gestured sadly between them, "all of this just feels so forced."

"It is forced," Dmitri agreed. "I was forcing myself to give you one more chance to see if things can be alright between us before I gave up."

"Are you saying tonight was a test?"

"And you failed," Dmitri said darkly.

XXX

"Thanks for hanging out with me," Aleida said as she pulled into the front of the Reznikov's house. She put the car in park and smiled at Gloria sincerely. "I really hope you stick around for the long haul."

"I'd like to," Gloria nodded as she looked behind her at Julio who was fast asleep in his car seat. It had been one of the best nights she'd had in a long time. She never really had many friends, as it had always been hard for her to make those kinds of connections, but things just felt different with Aleida. It felt as if she had met her sister from a parallel universe. A sister who had questionable values and a couple loose screws, but a sister nonetheless.

Aleida understood her in a way Gloria had never been understood before. Sometimes, there was so much in her head and she didn't always know how to verbalise it, but from day one, Aleida had seemed to know exactly what she meant.

She rubbed her hand over her abdomen soothingly. "I still have so much to figure out. I haven't even told my aunt I'm pregnant yet." She bit her lip roughly. Lourdes phoned regularly, checking in, offering assistance, and telling Gloria how proud she was of her for leaving when she did. Lourdes surely wouldn't continue to have those sentiments once she learned that her niece was expecting Arturo's baby. For once, Gloria felt like she was doing the right thing in her aunt's eyes and she didn't have the heart to change that just yet.

"Do what Daya did-send her a text."

Gloria shook her head. "I still can't believe that's the way she told you."

"Yea," Aleida said monotonously. "She's too far along to get an abortion. I think that's why she and the nun waited so long to tell me. They did it on purpose, you know?"

Gloria licked her lips. "Would you have made her get an abortion?"

"What the fuck is she going to do with a baby, Gloria?" Aleida asked her. "I don't know if she told the baby daddy. I don't even know who the baby daddy is. I doubt she does either. How is she going to take care of a kid? I can barely take care of _my _kids and now she wants to add this to my plate? It's fucking selfish."

Gloria scraped her hair back nervously. She didn't know what she would do in Aleida's situation, and she knew it would be a shock for any mother if their fifteen-year-old daughter turned up pregnant, but she hoped she would be more supportive and not so terrifying. She wanted her children to be able to confide in her and trust her. Hopefully they would learn from her mistakes instead of repeating them, but even if they did, Gloria hoped she would always be supportive.

"_Rojo _still out?" Aleida asked, changing the subject.

Gloria smirked. "I guess so," she shrugged. "It's kinda late, so maybe she's in bed already."

"Bet it's fucking weird living here," Aleida said as she looked toward the front door. "She's your boss and everything. It's like you never get any privacy or peace."

"She's nice," Gloria said softly. "I really like her. Her kids are so funny and I really enjoy them too. Nicky especially. Maxim is a close second."

"The boy never talks and the girl," Aleida rolled her eyes. "The girl talks way too much and she's mean, always picking on Vasily."

"Quiet and mean, those are my people" Gloria said with a smile. "I was a little worried at first about how Julio would fit in with them, ya know. Older kids don't want to have to constantly entertain little ones and I don't really blame them, but they're so nice to him. The other night when Galina and I came home, Vasily was reading to him and Julio was trying to read back. It was really sweet."

"Sounds like your living in bliss then. No chance you'd want to move in with me?"

"Ha!" Gloria laughed. "After watching the way you fold towels, absolutely not! Besides, Galina is a pretty good cook. It'd be hard to give that up."

Aleida rolled her eyes. "Maybe you just like having a maid."

"Nah," Gloria shook her head. "I would never think of her that way. She works so hard. Day and night. Everyday, all day. I don't know how she does it, but I respect the hell out of her for it."

"The way she talks to Dmitri is uncalled for though," Aleida replied. "I mean...sure, he's a _pendejo _but she just takes it to the extreme. It can't be fun listening to them argue all the time."

Gloria shrugged. "Are we really in a position to judge her?"

"But that's what I'm saying…." Aleida said, tapping the steering wheel dramatically to make her point. "Look at us and look at her! You said your man hit you once for saying hi to the mailman, Caesar turned my kitchen into a meth lab, and Dmitri is here, and decent enough to her and the kids. What more does she want from him?"

"I mean, yeah, I agree with you," Gloria said warily. "Compared to men like Caesar and Arturo, he's looking pretty good." She didn't think being married to a man like Dmitri was the worst of things, but she also understood that just because a man didn't slap you in the face for speaking your mind didn't mean he was a great husband. Dmitri was lazy and self-centered. He showed up when he was in the mood and avoided his family and all responsibilities whenever he felt like it. Galina was the one there constantly whether she wanted to be or not. Doing it all by herself and that was a whole other type of loneliness.

"With the way she acts, I wouldn't blame him for saying fuck it and leaving. I would have."

"Would you?" Gloria asked skeptically, flashing Aleida the smallest flicker of a smile. "You admitted yourself you'd still be with Caesar if they hadn't sent him to prison and told you to have no contact if you wanted to get the kids back."

"Fucking kids," Aleida sighed, tilting her head back against the seat. "They better appreciate everything I'm giving up for them."

"Giving up a drug dealer in exchange for your kids? I'd say that's a win-win all around," Gloria said, giving an involuntary shiver. "I couldn't imagine living with that."

"Sounds to me like you've lived with worse."

"Not anymore though," Gloria said firmly, glancing over her shoulder at Julio, who was still sleeping soundly. "If I get him, will you help me carry his car seat in? It's past his bedtime but I'm sure he'll still be up in time to greet the morning sun."

"Maybe I don't want my kids back," Aleida sighed, as she opened the driver's door and stepped outside the car. "I've grown accustomed to sleeping in and staying out all night whenever I please."

"Soon you're going to be up all night helping Daya take care of your screaming grandbaby," Gloria teased, as she leaned over Julio to unbuckle his harness. She lifted him out of the seat and cradled him in her arms, his head falling to rest against her shoulder. "We can have baby playdates!"

"Your child and my grandchild," Aleida shook her head. "I could kill that girl for making me feel so old. She unlatched the car seat and then followed Gloria into the quiet house. Aside from the hallway, all the lights downstairs were off and she could see none of the house's other occupants. "Is anybody even here?"

"Probably sleeping," Gloria replied, adjusting Julio in her arms. "Nicky is supposed to be staying over at Lorna's but I saw all the boys' bikes outside by the porch. It's pretty late."

"Yeah, well, thanks for staying up and helping me with my place," Aleida said, setting the car seat down beside the door.

"No problem. I had fun," Gloria replied with a smile. "Your caseworker will be impressed, I'm sure."

"She better," Aleida huffed. "I'm getting tired of running around in circles for those people. I want to see some results soon."

"You will," Gloria said confidently.

"Better," Aleida sighed. "I'll let you both get some sleep, I guess. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Gloria replied.

She locked the door carefully behind Aleida and then carried Julio into the room they had been sharing since they'd arrived. Galina had offered her the vacant room across the hall for Julio and said she still had her own kids' baby furniture stored away that she would set up for when the baby came. She acted just as excited about it as Gloria was, and did so much to make her house feel like Gloria and Julio's home, instead of just a place they were renting. It was obvious that she wanted them there. Husband or not, it was obvious that she had been feeling rather alone for a long time.

Gloria pulled back the duvet with one hand and then laid the sleeping boy down on the sheets. She tucked him in, smoothed his hair back, and gently kissed his forehead. Julio stirred only slightly, opening his eyes to stare tiredly at her, before he drifted back to sleep. Sweet child. He was doing so well here and the friends they had made kept him so busy he didn't seem to have time to think about Arturo at all.

At least he had stopped asking about him, and Lourdes had said that Arturo had stopped phoning to ask about her. It seemed he had calmed down. Maybe the time lapse since her rash departure had allowed him to think about his toxic and abusive behaviour and try for some remorse. It seemed too much to hope that he had moved on and would leave them alone forever. Gloria was still his wife and sooner or later she was going to have to deal with that. She couldn't put it off forever, as tempting as that sounded.

Gloria sighed as her eyes fell upon the telephone set on the bedside table. If she was looking for a golden chance then it was now. Julio was sleeping, the house was silent, and Arturo stayed up late every night and would surely answer her call. Gloria reached her hand out for the phone, hesitated, pulled back, before finally grasping the receiver in her hand and holding it up to her ear. _There's nothing to be afraid of_, she told herself. Arturo couldn't bite her through the telephone and if it got too heated, she could simply hang up. _She needed to do this_, she reminded herself. There was too much unfinished business left between them.

Gloria took care to type in the *67 first, effectively blocking her number and ensuring that he would not be able to track her. Each digit of Arturo's number echoed in her ear and when the phone started dialing, Gloria felt like her heart was in her throat.

"_Hello?"_

"Arturo," Gloria said, letting out the breath she hadn't realized that she had been holding.

"_Gloria?"_

"Yes," Gloria stammered, nodding her head against the phone. Her free hand she squeezed between her two thighs as she spoke. It would be impossible to explain to anyone how comforting it was to hear his voice. After everything he had done to her, it didn't make sense.

"_Thank God! Are you okay? I've been so worried!" _

"Yes, yes, I'm okay," Gloria whispered.

"_And Julio? How is the little guy?"_

"He's fine," Gloria said softly. "We're both just fine."

"_I've been worried sick about you both. Lourdes said you were fine but that you wouldn't talk to me."_

"Can you blame me?" Gloria asked, the emotion beginning to creep into her tone.

"_No, of course, I don't blame you. I completely understand. I wouldn't have wanted to speak to me either. What made you change your mind?"_

"I've been thinking about you a lot," Gloria answered truthfully.

"_There isn't a moment that has passed since you left that I haven't been thinking of you. And of Julio. I promised to teach him how to swim this summer, remember? There's still time. I want you to come home." _

"Arturo…. I'm….I'm," she stammered. Halting, Gloria took a deep breath and then said strongly what she needed to say. "I'm not coming home."

"_What?"_

"I'm not coming back to repeat what happened again. It's over. We both know it."

"_Gloria, that is never going to happen again. I promise." _

"You've promised me that before. Your promises mean nothing."

"_This time it does. I've had time to think while you've been gone. I've been working on myself. I'm better now." _

"I'm glad to hear that you're trying to get better but it doesn't change things for us."

"_Gloria, don't say that. Where are you? Maybe if we talk in person, I can make you see differently. See that I've changed." _

"That's why I don't want to see you," Gloria replied. Her heart was pounding, the hand holding the phone was slick with sweat. He scared her. She knew at the smallest aggravation Arturo would be set off and anyone unfortunate enough to be near him would experience the full magnitude of his wrath. Anger turned Arturo into a completely different person. A person that Gloria couldn't even recognize. She wasn't about to meet up with Arturo in person and allow herself to be swayed by the man she had fallen in love with, only to have him transform into an abusive monster when she did something that upset him.

"_Gloria, we're married. We need to talk about things and work on our problems. I know that it's hard but God put the two of us together and he doesn't make mistakes. You, me, Julio, we're a family. I'll do whatever you need me to do, to prove to you that I've changed. I can't lose you." _

"It's too late," Gloria whispered. Tears welled up in her eyes, making her vision blurry as she stared at her son sleeping peacefully in the bed. "There's no going back. I've given you so many chances and it always ends the same. You hurt me very badly."

"_I'm sorry, Gloria_." And Gloria could hear over the phone now that he was crying too. _"Gloria, I'm so sorry. Please, Gloria. You know I can't live without you." _

"I didn't think I could live without you either," Gloria replied. "But I've been doing it for almost two months now. And now that I know I can take care of myself, there's no way I can go back to a man who hurt me like you did and who scared my son."

"_This is your fucking tia getting into your head, isn't it? The fucking bitch! Sticking her nose in where it doesn't belong! Interfering with my family and trying to convince my wife to leave me because she was mad that you married me in the first place!" _

"This has nothing to do with Lourdes," Gloria replied, trying to remain calm. "Lourdes hasn't done anything wrong except promising to support me with whatever _I _decide. I'm making my own decisions right now."

"_So, she's who you're going to side with, now?" _Arturo yelled. _"After everything she's done to you? That bitch took your daughters from you! Alienated you from your whole family! You were nothing when I found you! I took you in and loved you when nobody else would! Now you've got the fucking nerve to speak to me like I'm nothing?"_

"You don't love me," Gloria cried, tears flowing down her cheeks. "You say you do and then you do the most awful things to me!"

"_I'm the only person who is ever going to love you! Your parents are dead and your Tia doesn't love you, she only tolerates you because she has to! Give it a few months and she isn't going to want to help you anymore and then you're going to be crawling back to me!"_

"Yeah, well, I'm not even staying with Lourdes now so that doesn't matter," Gloria snapped. "I don't need you, and I don't need her if she doesn't want me either. I'm managing just fine."

"_Give it a few more weeks! You're not capable of being alone! You can't manage Julio by yourself and I've been taking care of that boy his whole life! You have no right to keep him from me!"_

"He's not your son," Gloria replied shakely, "And I am never going to let you see him again." She wrapped her free hand around her middle, holding the child that _was _Arturo's and which he might be able to claim rights to if he ever learned the truth. Her belly was tightening and contracting sharply with every breath she took.

"_You fucking ungrateful bitch-"_

"I'm going to be in contact with a divorce lawyer this week," Gloria cut in. Her whole body was shaking and she felt like she was going to throw up. "When you receive your papers please just sign them. I don't want anything from you. I just need this to be over."

She hung up the phone before Arturo could speak another word and then surrendered to the shaking sobs that were consuming her. Phoning him had been an absolute mistake.


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you for the reviews! I appreciate every one of them. And thank you Johanna-002 for helping me outline a direct plan for this story. Your notes made writing this chapter so much easier. **

Nobody's night seemed to be going the way they had hoped, and Nicky was no exception. It was nearing twelve that same night when Nicky began making her way home alone. Dressed only in a faded blue t-shirt and a pair of flannel pajama pants that had been washed so many times that the fabric was worn and no shield from the cooler breeze blowing off of the lake. The bright moon and shimmering stars were her source of light as she treaded down the dirt road, past Healy's house, until she reached the foot of her family's long driveway. She knew her mother would kill her if she discovered her walking by herself at this late hour, but Nicky had decided not to call for a ride anyway. She wanted some time to think.

Nicky switched to a light jog up the driveway. The place was dark. Nobody had left the porch light on for her since they weren't expecting her until morning. Nicky noticed the absence of either of her parents' vehicles and had to beam at the significance. Pop had told her he'd planned a little getaway for her mother and himself, but Nicky had been skeptical that he'd actual follow through or that her Ma would even concede to go. Nicky had to take this as a positive sign.

The front door creaked open as she stepped over the threshold into her family home. Nicky quietly set her backpack down on the bench and then slipped out of her shoes, placing them carefully on the mat like she was always nagged by her mother to do. Panting slightly from her sprint, Nicky tiptoed down the hall towards the kitchen without flicking any of the lights on. She didn't want to disturb any of the house's sleeping occupants or have to offer an explanation for what she was doing back at this hour.

"Gloria?" Nicky jumped back and clutched her hand to her heart in surprise. Gloria had fallen asleep sitting upright at the table. Her right hand was supporting her chin and her left was wrapped around a mug half-filled with tea that had long ago turned cool. She was still wearing the clothes she'd had on earlier that day when Nicky had seen her before work.

"You scared me," Nicky breathed. Gloria twitched in her sleep but her eyes stayed firmly closed. Nicky wasn't sure if she should wake her to go to bed, so that she wouldn't have a stiff neck in the morning, or if she should just let her be.

"_Pregnant women need a lot of rest," _her mother had explained before. _"Not that your father would ever dream about helping out so I could get more rest, but it's hard work to grow a whole person." _

Galina never seemed to be able to resist the impulse to get a little dig in at Dmitri wherever she could, but Nicky found her insights into pregnancy pretty interesting. She had no memory of when her mother had been expecting Vasily, being barely out of babyhood herself. Gloria was the first pregnant woman Nicky could really remember being that close to, and even though her small bump just looked like she recently had enjoyed a big meal, Nicky was eager to watch it grow. 

She reached into the cabinet for a water glass and then headed over to the refrigerator. They kept a pitcher in there for the water they drank from their own well. She filled her glass to the brim and then gulped half of it down. The light from inside the ridge shone through the kitchen when she opened it a second time to refill her glass.

"Nicky?"

Nicky turned back around to see Gloria blinking over at her in confusion.

"Hey," she greeted. Shutting the refrigerator door, Nicky carried her glass of water over to the table and sat down in the seat opposite Gloria.

"Hi, _mija_," Gloria greeted her, covering her lips with the back of her mouth to stifle a yawn. "How long was I out for?"

"I'm not sure," Nicky shrugged, "I just got here."

"You did?" Gloria glanced at the time glowing in digital green lights on the stove. 12:04. "I thought you were spending the night with Lorna?"

"We got into a fight," Nicky said simply, the corners of her mouth curving down sadly. "My mom isn't home?"

"I don't think so," Gloria shook her head. "She went out with your dad tonight, right?"

"Yeah…" Nicky sighed. "At least one thing is going right tonight then, I guess. Pop told me he wanted them to stay in the city for some alone time. I'm the one who told him not to be cheap and to get them a suite with a pool."

"Sounds nice," Gloria said, smiling at the memory of how displeased Galina had been that evening to go out with him at all. It was a little bittersweet to see how invested her daughter seemed to be in her parents' night out. "Is that something they do often?"

"Practically never," Nicky rolled her eyes. "When I asked her about it, Ma said there was never any time between work and raising four kids."

"That certainly complicates things," Gloria replied. "Julio never gives me a moment's peace and I can't imagine juggling four of him. I'm already nervous about two…" she patted her stomach soothingly.

"Yeah, but we're bigger now," Nicky argued. "We can take care of ourselves for one night while they go have fun."

She knew her family wasn't perfect. Her parents spent a lot of time apart and sometimes went days without even speaking to one another. When they were talking, it was difficult for them to refrain from slipping in snide comments about each other. They seemed to thrive on provoking one another. Yet they'd stayed together all this time and that counted for something. They weren't like the Chapmans, where Piper's father's mistress had been an open secret in town for years. The Reznikovs were a united front, a committed and happy family, even if any romantic notions appeared to have been thrown out the window long ago.

Nicky was thankful for that. She'd seen what unhappy homes were like up close. Lorna's home was nearly always in a state of turmoil. In fact, the only reason Nicky had been allowed to stay over there in the first place was because Lorna's Dad was out of town for work. Mr. Morello didn't like children or noise, often stating that his own three kids annoyed him enough and he didn't need their friends hanging around causing extra chaos. Lorna's mother wasn't a well woman. She used to work down at the grocery store until various health ailments had forced her to quit her job. Now she rarely left her bedroom, was often depressed, and Lorna and her siblings were usually expected to fend for themselves.

"That's' true" Gloria agreed, silently offering up a silent prayer that Galina and Dmitri's night was going as well as their daughter seemed to hope it was. She stood up and walked over to the sink to dump her cold tea down the drain. She rinsed out the mug and set in on the drying mat. "So, you and Lorna had a fight? Are you okay?"

"I don't know," Nicky said vaguely.

"You don't want to talk about it?" Gloria asked, leaning against the counter and wrapping her hands around her small belly.

"Not much to say," Nicky shrugged.

"Well, how about a midnight snack, then?" Gloria offered. "Are you hungry?"

"As long as you don't make something weird like pickles and ice cream."

"I don't have those kinds of cravings," Gloria replied. She was pleased to see the girl crack the smallest hint of a smile. Nicky was usually so talkative and jovial, but right now she seemed solemn and caught up in her own thoughts.

"How about a PB and J?" Nicky suggested.

"Sure," Gloria replied, "I think I'll make one for myself as well."

She went to the bread box and took out four slices setting them down on the gleaming countertop before she went searching for the jam and peanut butter. She felt comfortable in this kitchen, in this home entirely, in fact. She was more Galina's roommate now, than guest. She bought groceries, cooked, and helped with the household upkeep. While she worked on their sandwiches, Gloria kept watch on Nicky out of the corner of her eye. The girl looked positively beat down and ready for bed. It may have been in part due to the late hour, but it was obvious that Nicky's fight with Lorna was weighing heavily on her.

"Here you go," Gloria set down a diagonally sliced sandwich down in front of Nicky. "Do you want something else to drink?"

"Thanks," said Nicky. "I'm good with water."

Gloria poured herself a glass of orange juice and then joined Nicky back at the table. "I've got to enjoy this while I can," she said, taking a sip from her glass. "Soon the heartburn is going to start to kick in."

"My Pop has to take pills for that," Nicky shared, picking up her sandwich with both hands. "When Ma is mad at him, she cooks spicier things." Snickering to herself, Nicky took a big bite.

"How passive aggressive of her," Gloria smiled. "Must be where you and Vasily learned it when I see the two of you picking at each other."

"Better than aggressive aggressive," Nicky said, sounding slightly defensive as she gave her a pointed look. Gloria subconsciously rubbed her hand over her cheek. The bruising had long ago healed, leaving no trace of anything ever happening on her tanned glowing face.

"Yes," Gloria agreed, lowering her hand and attempting to keep her voice steady. "I didn't mean anything by it…" It surprised her to hear how protective Nicky was about her parents, since she always was making cracks about their relationship behind their backs and even to their faces.

"That's okay. I know they're weird," Nicky shrugged. "I wouldn't want to end up in a relationship like them. Although, so far, I don't seem to be having any better luck."

"Are you having boy troubles?" asked Gloria.

"Puh-lease!" Nicky rolled her eyes.

"Just asking," Gloria smiled.

"I just had to endure hours of non-stop boy talk from Lorna, most of which revolved around my brother," Nicky shuddered in revulsion. "My biggest problem is trying to figure out how to get her to shut up about boys!"

"Ah, so that's why you left the sleepover!" Gloria exclaimed.

"Pretty much," Nicky muttered. "She's obsessed with Yuri. Which doesn't even make sense. He's not even good looking and his room smells like we let a horse live in it!"

If she was being honest with herself, Nicky would admit that she had overreacted. Lorna certainly thought she had, and by now had probably called both Piper and Alex to complain about Nicky going crazy on her for no real reason. Nicky knew she shouldn't have snapped at her, she never had before. Usually she had an abundance of patience when it came to listening and entertaining every fanciful whim that Lorna concocted in her brain. However, once they started revolving around her brother, Nicky decided that her friend had crossed a very clear line in more ways than one.

"I think Yuri is a pretty handsome guy," Gloria replied. "All your brothers are, just like you're a beautiful girl."

"Yeah, if you're looking for the Yuri fan club, it's over at Lorna's house," Nicky retorted. She exhaled a deep breath and then carried her empty plate and glass to the sink.

"I wouldn't worry, Nicky," Gloria said soothingly. "She'll get over it soon enough. I doubt your brother has an interest in a thirteen-year-old friend of his sister."

"He doesn't," Nicky agreed. "But I threatened to punch him in the throat if he encouraged her, just to be safe."

"How very aggressive-aggressive of you," Gloria said, with a knowing look.

Nicky flushed. "I wouldn't actually _do _it, you know."

"I know," Gloria nodded.

"It's just...Lorna is my best friend, and now she barely notices me," Nicky said softly. "She wants to stay over here all the time and I don't even think it's about me anymore. She just wants to get away from her own house and try to get Yuri to notice her."

"That's rough," Gloria said sympathetically. "I don't think she is doing any of this to intentionally hurt you. Maybe you should tell her how you feel. Or take a break from her so she learns you won't tolerate being used like that."

"Yeah, I guess," Nicky sighed. "I already decided I'm going to call Alex and see if she wants to hang out with me tomorrow instead-"

She broke off as a pair of headlights flashed through the kitchen window and a truck pulled into the driveway.

"Is that them?" asked Gloria nervously. She noticed herself gripping tightly to the edge of her seat as struggled to make out the vehicle parked out front.

"What are they doing back already?" Nicky wondered aloud, sounding disappointed.

She hurried to the front door to switch on the porchlight for them. Gloria used her few seconds alone to take some calming breaths to steady her racing heart. _Of course,_ it was Dmitri and Galina coming home. Yet, when Gloria had first seen Dmitri's truck pull up in the middle of the night her first thought had been that Arturo had somehow managed to figure out where she was calling from. That he had driven all night to come confront her in person about daring to ask for a divorce.

"Nicky, just let me get in the door first, will you?" Galina's thick accent could be heard saying. Gloria watched through the window as Dmitri backed up his truck and then drove off the way he had come. Clearly, he wasn't staying the night, and the pair of them had opted not to stay together in the fancy suite they had booked after all.

"But why are you home already, Ma?"

"Why are you home, Nicky?" Galina asked, a touch of impatience in her tone. "I thought you were staying over at Lorna's?"

"Eh, I decided not to," Nicky said vaguely. "I always feel really awkward at her place." It wasn't what she had told Gloria, but also not untrue either. She just didn't feel like getting into it all again for a second time that night. She was more concerned with why her parents had decided to cut short their date night in the first place.

"I understand," Galina said softly, wrapping her arm around her daughter and pulling her into a gentle embrace.

"I've been hanging out with Gloria," Nicky shared. She led her mother around the corner into the kitchen where Gloria was still seated.

"Oh, so it's been a fun night without me," Galina teased.

"No, I missed you," Nicky conceded, nuzzling her head against her mother's shoulder.

"I missed you too," Galina replied, kissing the top of Nicky's head affectionately.

She glanced over Nicky's head to catch Gloria's eye, who was watching the two of them with a smile on her face. Gloria was so glad to see her too and relieved to know that it wasn't Arturo. It was absurd to even think that he would be able to figure out where she was, but it had been Gloria's primary concern since she had left him. Asking for a divorce, over the phone, from a secret location felt almost like taunting him. She didn't even want to think about Arturo's fury right now.

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" Nicky asked.

"Of course," Galina replied, raking her hand through Nicky's hair. "Why don't you go warm up the bed for me?"

Nicky knew that was her cue to leave. She uttered a hurried _'goodnight' _to Gloria and then headed off to bed, leaving the two women behind in her wake. Silence fell between them. Gloria quietly stood up and walked over to the sink. She put the stopper in the drain and then turned on the tap. Adding a dash of dish soap, she filled the sink with soapy water.

"You don't have to do those," Galina said, sinking down into her seat at the head of the table. "They can wait until morning."

"Nonsense," Gloria said dismissively. She stole a glance at the sitting woman. Galina was rubbing her hand over her face and looking positively drained.

"You okay?" Gloria asked gently.

Galina shook her hand. "No…"

"You didn't enjoy your night out?" Gloria asked.

"Not at all," Galina said shortly. She ran her fingers through her hair. "I told you I wouldn't."

Gloria nodded silently behind her back. Calmly she began to wash the few dishes that she and Nicky had generated. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No... I…" Galina's voice cracked. "I don't know."

She slumped back in her chair and sighed. Gloria finished rinsing off the final plate and then began to drain the water. The kitchen was back to it's clean and orderly state. Just the way Galina liked it to be for her to prepare breakfast in in the morning.

"Yeah, I feel you," Gloria said sympathetically. She sat back down in the chair directly beside her friend. "I was having a good night until I came home."

_Home. _The word flowed so naturally from her lips and the smallest smile from Galina's told Gloria that she had noticed it too. Galina had always wanted to make this place like a home for anybody who stayed here. She went above and beyond to make all of her guests happy and her children's friends came in and out like they belonged there, and she rarely minded, even when she pretended to. It meant even more to hear Gloria call it that though. She'd grown so fond of having her and Julio stay there. It was so refreshing and a curb to the loneliness most people would be surprised to learn she harboured, to have another adult in the house who she actually wanted to talk to.

"What happened when you came home?" Galina asked, suddenly growing worried. "Were the kids acting up?"

"No, nothing like that," Gloria shook her head. "Your kids are always so well behaved." She pushed her hair back and steadied herself for her confession. "I called my husband."

Galina's eyes immediately widened. "How did that go?"

"Badly," Gloria replied simply.

"They have a way of ruining everything don't they?" Galina sighed. She held out her hand to stare at her ring. Even after the way they had argued she hadn't been able to bring herself to take it off. Perhaps in the morning, when all of this felt more real.

"I told him I wanted a divorce," Gloria said confidently. The idea was sounding better and better the more she said it. "So, now I need to make good on my promise and get in contact with a lawyer." She sounded almost excited. The first step to her freedom and she had never felt surer about any decision in her life. She just had to hope that Arturo wouldn't make things difficult for her.

"Not before you get in contact with a doctor," Galina reminded her. "Promise me you'll call on Monday?"

"Yes," Gloria nodded. "I told you that I would."

Silence fell between them once again. In the background they could hear the gentle hum of the television coming from Galina's bedroom. Nicky foregoing sleep while she waited up for her. She'd be okay to wait a little longer though. Galina turned her focus back to Gloria. After the night she had just endured she knew she would never be able to sleep right now and needed somebody to talk to.

"Dmitri took me to a fancy hotel," she announced glumly. She sounded as if she had just gotten back from the funeral of a dearly beloved friend. Not an impressive hotel and a night of luxury which she rarely got to experience.

"I guess there is more to this story?" Gloria asked in confusion. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to say. If there was something obvious that her friend wanted her to criticize Dmitri for alongside her.

"It was a dream," Galina said dramatically, tilting her head back. "Like something out of a movie and all I could think the entire time was 'I would enjoy this so much more if I were alone!'"

A look of bemusement flashed across Gloria's face. "You didn't say that, did you?" she asked in amazement.

Galina bit her lip, looking positively guilty, non-verbally answering Gloria's question. "We fought all night long and on the drive home," she admitted.

"Galina…" Gloria sighed. She wanted to be supportive, she really did. Unless there were some details her friend was withholding, it appeared that Dmitri's only crime was planning a special night for a woman who appreciated none of it. Gloria watched in distress as her friend's eyes welled up with tears. She didn't know what to say.

"I can't help it," Galina said, her lip quivering. "I'm so unhappy, Gloria. You have no idea. I'm miserable...the very thought of him touching me…" She let out an ugly sob as her shoulders shook. Leaning over the table, she buried her face in her hands.

"Shhhh," Gloria murmured. She rested a gentle hand on her back, while she craned her neck to stare anxiously down the hallway. She knew it would be insensitive to ask Galina to handle her grief more quietly. It was just that Nicky was still obviously awake and had had such high hopes for her parents that night. There was no part of this that she needed to hear.

"It was just one thing after another and I couldn't stop," Galina sniffled. Sitting back, she used her fingers to brush the tears from her eyes. "It all came out."

"Wow," Gloria sighed. "I don't even know what to say."

"He wants a divorce," Galina said sadly. "I want to feel relieved but I think I feel even more miserable now than I didn't think was possible."

Gloria squeezed the top of her shoulder tightly. She could feel years of stress and tension built up in the muscles. "If you're not happy then why punish yourself?" she asked. "You both deserve to be happy. Why would you want to limit yourself?"

"I guess I'm just not understanding," Gloria said gently. She released the tight muscles in Galina's shoulders and trailed her fingers slowly down her back. "If he's giving you an out, and you want out, why don't you just run with it?"

"Because now it feels as if my whole life was a waste!" Galina exclaimed. "I've wasted almost twenty years with that man...for nothing. I feel like God is laughing at me."

Xxx

"Finally!" Nicky exclaimed. She was sitting wide up in bed. The television was turned off but Nicky still looked as alert as ever.

"What are you still doing awake?" Galina whispered in shock. It had been over an hour since she had sent Nicky off to bed. She and Gloria had sat up for awhile, she'd taken a hot shower, and now was ready to collapse into a much-needed sleep. She was bone tired. Worn down from the emotional upheaval of her night.

"I wanted to talk to you."

"Nicky," Galina sighed. "Honey, it's so late…." she pulled back the covers of her bed and slipped in beside her daughter. Reaching for her daughter's hand, she tugged Nicky closer to envelop her in a warm embrace.

"I thought you and Pop weren't coming back until the morning," Nicky said softly, leaning her head back to rest against her mother's chest. "I helped him plan a nice night and everything. What went wrong?"

"Nicky…"

"Do you hate him that much?"

"Of course not," Galina said, squeezing her tightly in reassurance.

"Then what?" Nicky asked impatiently.

"Don't you think it's weird that Papa doesn't stay here?" Galina sighed. "You know we've never been truly compatible. It has nothing to do with hate. I could never hate him."

"Well, then figure it out," Nicky snapped. "I don't want to wind up like Alex!"

"Nicky-"

"Her Dad ran off and her mom has to work like four different jobs just to get by and Alex hardly ever gets to see her!"

"Nicky!"

"I don't want us to be like that!" Nicky exclaimed. "And then her mom is always bringing different guys home and Alex hates them…"

"Honey, I would never-"

"Pop can be a tool," Nicky snapped. "I get why he annoys you. But at least he stuck around! A lot of men don't."

"That's true…"

"Gloria's husband beat the crap out of her. That's an okay reason to get a divorce. You don't destroy your kids' family just because someone gets on your nerves a little bit."

"I never said anything to you about wanting a divorce-"

"Yeah, but I heard you and Gloria talking just now," Nicky snapped. "You think I don't have ears, Ma? And Pop only told you he wanted to break up out of anger. Who wouldn't be angry after you made him feel like an idiot for trying to do something nice for you? How ungrateful can you be?"

"Nicky-"

"I think I want to sleep in my own bed after all," Nicky said. Pulling away from her mother she leapt to the floor and headed out of the room without another word. In lieu of her daughter, Galina pulled her pillow close to her chest as fresh tears rained down on it. She was too exhausted to do anything else and fell asleep within seconds.


	10. Chapter 10

"Mommy, I can see your belly button!" Julio giggled, giving Gloria a poke into her rounded abdomen.

"Hey!" Gloria exclaimed, catching his tiny hand and bringing it to her mouth for a kiss. She released him and then stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror of the room. Khaki capris and a baby blue t-shirt from which Julio was quite correct that the outline of her belly button could be detected through the strained fabric. The shirt wanted to rise in the back and she had to keep tugging it down to keep herself fully covered. She'd only dressed a few minutes ago but already she was uncomfortable.

"Maternity clothes already?" Gloria thought aloud. She winced and then reluctantly pulled the too-small t-shirt up over her head. Tossing it onto the bed, Gloria stroked her hand over the bare golden skin that was still tanned from a summer spent outdoors. The silk bra she had on was getting too tight as well. Her breasts looked like they wanted to explode out of the cups and it hurt her back. She usually opted to just wear no bra whenever she could get away with it.

"I don't remember having these troubles with you this early on," Gloria complained good-naturedly as she wiggled out of her capris. She tossed them on the bed beside her shirt and then walked over to the closet where she pulled out a calico cotton maternity dress-one of the ones she had picked up at the church back in July when she'd first arrived in this town.

XXX

"You look nice," Galina said, smiling up at Gloria over the newspaper as she and Julio walked into the kitchen. She was seated at the breakfast table by herself. Nibbling on a piece of toast and savouring her morning coffee. Beside the sink were a neatly stacked pile of used plates and juice glasses.

"I look enormous," Gloria replied dramatically. She picked up the coffee pot and poured herself a cup. "And for the record-I blame you."

"Excuse me?" Galina asked, raising her eyebrows as Julio climbed up onto her lap. Her arm wrapped around him naturally, as Julio cheekily tugged her piece of toast directly out of her hand and helped himself to a generous bite.

"I'm gaining weight too quickly," Gloria said. "You keep me too well fed."

"How awful of me," Galina teased. "Is this why you missed breakfast?"

"No, he actually let me sleep in, I had to enjoy it where I could," Gloria replied, as she walked over to join them at the table. "Right, baby?"

Julio nodded. He was still chewing on the bite of toast he had stolen, concentrating on bringing it back to Galina's lips so he could feed her her share. She indulged him, biting off a small corner piece of the crust. "You can finish the rest," she told him.

"Where is everyone?" Julio asked. He leaned back in Galina's arms, holding the toast in both hands.

"They're at school, remember?" Galina replied, using her fingers to adjust the collar of his polo shirt. "They'll be home this afternoon."

"Aww…" Julio sulked, sticking out his bottom lip.

A magical summer had come to an end and the day after labour day, Yuri, Maxim, Nicky, and Vasily had set off to the end of their driveway with new backpacks and home-packed lunches to wait for the big yellow bus that would drive them and their friends to school. Julio had cried the first day they had left. The older kids had catered to him all summer and allowed him to tag along nearly everywhere they went. He'd had so much fun swimming in the lake, trying to climb trees in the forest, helping Galina garden, taking walks into town to get ice-cream, and just generally being the care-free little boy, he should have always gotten to be.

Now the lightness of summer had gone away and been replaced by a crisp autumn. Julio hadn't realized that school was an ongoing thing and he still got upset every time the kids ran out the door to meet the bus. Every night after supper, their mother made them sit at the table and do homework when Julio wanted to play before he was put to bed. Galina and Gloria were both working less now that the slow-time had begun for business. They both spent lots of time with Julio during the day at home, but he wanted kids his own age to play with.

"But we get to see your baby brother or sister today!" Galina reminded him. "Isn't that so exciting? I'm so sure it's a girl."

From her recommendation, Gloria had booked an appointment with the obstetrician who delivered all of the babies in this town. Dr. Sophia Burset had gotten on her a little bit for waiting so long without getting prenatal care, but assured her she was carrying a healthy baby that had been measuring on the larger size at every exam they'd gone to so far. Galina had driven her to everyone one and been almost as excited as Gloria was to hear the heartbeat, when Gloria had invited her inside. It was nice to share those moments with somebody who cared and made Gloria feel less alone, knowing she was about to be a single mother to another child. Today she had her big ultrasound. Galina was taking her and then would watch Julio until they could both come in at the end to *hopefully* find out what the gender was.

"You don't know that," Gloria shook her head. "Stop telling him that."

"It could be a girl," Galina replied with a smile. The house was filled with boys and a baby girl would help balance out their ratio a little bit.

"It's a boy," Gloria said confidently, caressing her belly with both hands. She'd never been wrong yet. Her pregnancy with the girls had been completely different from Julio. Perhaps that was just the difference between carrying twins and a single baby, but her prior experiences had her confident that she was having another son. Or maybe it was just wishful thinking…

She hadn't spoken to Arturo again but she hadn't been able to get their conversation out of her mind either. He knew how to hurt her. He didn't need his fists for that. Arturo knew exactly what pained her the most and how to use it to his advantage. Gloria usually blocked them from her mind but her two little girls had been front and center since that night. She thought about them, wondered what they were doing, and wished she'd bothered to pack the album of the photographs of them that Lourdes had mailed her over the years. Isla and Elena were the same age as Nicky. Living with the mouthy adolescent had given Gloria a real insight into what her life could have been like if things had been different. And though she didn't envy what Galina was currently going through with her teenage daughter, watching them made Gloria miss her two oldest babies fiercely.

"I want juice!" Julio announced.

"How do you ask nicely for juice?" Galina raised her eyebrows at him.

Julio sighed and leaned his head back to look up at. "Please," he added reluctantly.

"Okay," Galina nodded, popping a kiss on his forehead. She shifted him out of her lap and set him on the chair while she walked over to the fridge. "You know your aunt called," she said over her shoulder to Gloria.

"I know, you told me," Gloria said flatly.

"No, she phoned again," Galina replied, emerging from the fridge with a carton of orange juice. "She said that you never returned her call."

"She doesn't know when to stop," Gloria sighed.

Thought she'd sounded confident over the phone, the phone call to Arturo had brought up a lot of unresolved issues, namely surrounding her family of origin and her aunt most especially. Lourdes did what she could for her and she'd stood by her niece even when Gloria knew she had to have been pushing ever single button her aunt possessed. Lourdes definitely loved her but she wasn't the only person that Lourdes had to worry about and when push came to shove, Gloria knew she was never going to be the priority.

A teenage pregnancy was hardly an ideal situation but it happened all the time, people made the best of it, and some did a better job than parents much older than them. Gloria never had been given the chance to even try though. Lourdes had told her she wasn't ready and that it wouldn't be fair to the babies. Gloria didn't even want to think about what she would say when she discovered she was pregnant again. Though at twenty-eight she was now in the age-bracket considered acceptable, her situation was hardly ideal and undoubtedly Lourdes would disapprove. Gloria hadn't wanted to tell her about the baby, so she rarely talked to her aunt at all. All she felt was a ferocious, protective, maternal instinct to keep this baby a secret from anyone who would want to take it from her.

"Why haven't you called her?" Galina asked. She set a cup of juice down on the table, in front of Julio.

"I just haven't wanted to talk to her," Gloria shrugged. "What did she say?"

"Just to call her," Galina replied simply.

Gloria sighed and her fingers began to tap nervously on the edge of table. "You didn't tell her anything, right?"

"About the baby?" Galina asked. She shook her head, turning her focus to the stack of breakfast dishes her kids have left before heading to school. "No, why would I? But I don't think you should wait until the baby goes to college."

"I can try," Gloria replied.

Galina didn't press the subject. She switched on the faucet and poured some dish soap into the sink. There was obvious family drama between Gloria and her aunt, but she was hardly in a position to judge. While she and Gloria had shared a lot about themselves in the months they had lived together, Galina had long suspected that there were things Gloria still kept buried inside. Things like why she had chosen to move with her son to a town where she hadn't known a soul, instead of just moving to be with the family who called to check in regularly and would have helped her get on her feet. Arturo was clearly not the only painful part of Gloria's past.

"Good morning," a gentle voice called from the entry.

"We're in here," Gloria called back. She watched Galina pick up a plate and begin to scrub at it like she was mad at it. She kept her back to them and her eyes on the dish she was washing, while Dmitri walked softly into the kitchen.

"Dmitri!" Julio called happily. "I've got orange juice! Do you want orange juice?"

"Maybe later," Dmitri smiled at him. He glanced at Gloria. "How are you feeling?"

"Great," Gloria replied.

Silence resumed. Dmitri glanced warily at Galina's back and then back to the two of the table. He playfully winked and then pretended to tremble dramatically, as thought the prospect of speaking to his wife was really that terrifying.

"Do you know where Nicky's poster for school is?"

"No, should I?" Galina replied gruffly.

"She called me and asked me to pick it up," Dmitri replied. "She said she forgot to bring it to school and it's due today."

"Why would she ask you?" Galina asked sharply. Her hands paused in their scrubbing as she turned to look at his suspiciously.

"I don't know," Dmitri shrugged. "Maybe she didn't want to bother you. So where is it?"

"Hmm…" Galina murmured unintelligibly. Avoiding his gaze, she reached for another dish and began washing it as though he wasn't there. The water splashed up, spraying the front of her sweater and spreading across the counter as she dumped a second plate aggressively into the sink.

"What? Are you jealous that she asked me and not you?" Dmitri asked incredulously.

"Do you even know where the school is?" Galina shot back.

"Yes, I know where the school is," Dmitri snapped. "What sort of-"

"Nicky was working on her poster in the living room last night," Gloria cut in, speaking loudly over him before things could escalate any further. "I bet it's still on the coffee table. If not, check her bedroom."

"Thanks, Gloria," Dmitri replied.

He turned on his heel and Gloria watched him leave before she turned her gaze onto her son. Julio was sitting at the table, eyes wide in alarm, chewing anxiously on the tip of the straw poking out of his sippy cup. He was a sensitive boy. Arguing bothered him. He was prone to even bursts of tears when the older kids got into fights with each other. After what he'd witnessed between his mom and step-dad, it was easy to understand why.

"Baby, why don't you go play with your truck and give us a minute?" Gloria suggested quietly. She stroked his hair back reassuringly and smiled. Julio nodded, slid off his chair and ran out of the room, leaving the two women alone.

Galina still hadn't moved or turned around. She was still at the sink, washing each dish as though she had a personal vendetta against it. Gloria pursed her lips and also got to her feet. She laid her hand on her baby bump as she walked over to stand beside her.

"You need to stop that," Gloria said sternly. "At least in front of Julio. You know that it bothers him…."

Galina's shoulders stiffened defensively. "Why would Nicky ask him to bring her homework to the school when she knew I was home?"

"I don't know, love," Gloria sighed. "Probably because you're busy, he's not, and she didn't want to trouble you…"

"Well, that's new," Galina replied irritably. "I've always been the one to take care of their school, and everything else! Dmitri probably doesn't even know her teacher's name!"

"Well, then maybe she asked him just because she wanted to make you mad," Gloria said impatiently. "Is it working?"

"You know, that's probably it," Galina said stiffly. "That girl has been doing everything she can to disrespect and disobey me since we separated. She blames me. She acts like I kicked him out of this house. The boys aren't much better."

"You've got to give them time," Gloria said, squeezing her shoulder encouragingly. "This is hard on them too."

"Well, they're taking it out on the wrong person then," Galina said sadly. "I never wanted any of this to happen…"

The past few months had been difficult, to say the least. Dmitri and Galina rarely spent much time with one another in the first place, so it was surprising how much a formal separation could change things. Meals together and Dmitri coming around whenever he felt like it almost never happened now. Money was tighter and sometimes Galina had an empty nest when all her kids decided to stay over with Dmitri. He had less rules, lower expectations, and seemed to have won over their favour since being regarded as the parent who had wanted to try and fix things. He seemed to be upping his game, spending more quality time with each of them, and his wife, who had always been the center and heart of the family, was suddenly cast to the side.

"I know," Gloria said gently. She wrapped her arm around her friend in a loose hug, resting her head momentarily on her shoulder.

"But being a bitch every time you see him isn't going to help anything, you know?" Gloria whispered in her ear. "And it upsets my son. So, knock it off. I don't want to have to look for a new place to live."

"You can't," Galina replied, blinking a few times rapidly to lock away any moisture. "Dmitri stopped helping to pay any of the bills. I need the money."

"I thought you just liked my company?" Gloria teased. She released her and then picked up a towel so that she could begin drying and putting away the washed dishes.

"That too."

"Well, then, behave yourself," Gloria smiled.

"It's not there!" Dmitri exclaimed dramatically, coming back into the kitchen.

"I'll get it," Galina sighed. She wiped her Sudsy hands on the front of her skirt and then scooted around him, avoiding eye contact. She checked the living room first and spotted Nicky's project on the Circulatory system immediately. The poster had slid underneath the coffee table.

Galina picked it up. Nicky had been working on this all yesterday evening and aside from one spelling error that stood out on the blue Bristol board, her mother thought it looked wonderful and would earn her a good grade. Nicky's best always came out during the presentation competent of any assignment. Unlike her brothers who could be shy in front of an audience, Nicky knew how to engage an audience.

Thinking about her daughter made Galina want to sink down on the couch and cry. Things had been strained lately. Not much had changed and yet everything was different. She didn't want this: for herself or her children but she also found herself powerless to stop it. Dmitri hadn't expressed any change of heart when she'd gone to him the very next day after their failed date and begged him to try again. Dmitri was convinced they'd all be better off once they got used to the idea, which was the opposite impression Galina had gotten from her children. She was miserable, they were insecure, and Dmitri acted like he had just been set free from a prison of his own making. She couldn't change his mind, because she wasn't able to change who she was. Nobody wanted to give her credit for trying, they just wanted to blame her for her inadequacies.

"I found it," Galina announced, holding up the poster as she walked into the kitchen. Dmitri was sitting at the table by himself. No coffee or a helping from breakfast. Though nothing had been signed in a court of law he already acted like the place was only hers. He didn't take things without permission, had moved his own stuff out, and wanted her to buy him out of his share which she didn't think she could afford.

"Where's Gloria?" she asked. Setting Nicky's poster down on the table in front of him.

"She went to get Julio dressed," Dmitri replied. He tapped the poster with his finger. "Nicky drew that diagram? It's pretty good."

"She's a smart girl," Galina agreed quietly.

"Well, I guess I better be getting that to her then," Dmitri said. He picked up the poster and got to his feet. "Thanks for finding it."

"Dmitri, we need to talk," Galina said. She ignored the annoyed look on his face and followed behind her husband as he headed for the door. "You've been avoiding me."

"We're separated," Dmitri reminded her. He sat down on the stairs so that he could begin to put his shoes on. "I don't have to talk to you if I don't want to. Besides, I thought I was doing you a favour."

"A favour?" Galina crossed her arms over her chest. "You know that I never wanted this to happen."

"Well, you weren't happy with the way things were," Dmitri replied. "Nobody was. I thought we were doing the right thing staying together just for the kids but they don't need two parents together, they need two parents who are happy. This is good for them too."

"If it's so good for them then why is Nicky treating me like I've suddenly caught the plague?" Galina asked.

"Because she is a teenager and all teenage girls fight with their mothers," Dmitri said dismissively. "That would have happened either way."

"Hmm..."

"What I'm figuring out is how to be a parent to them on my own," Dmitri said. He smiled, looking proud and excited. "I can't just hide behind you anymore and expect you to handle everything. When they're staying with me, I'm involved in everything now and I think that's making us closer. They like being with me."

"You can be with them here," Galina argued. "We could be doing things together with them as a family. Let's just try. I'll do whatever you want…"

Her voice trailed off as Dmitri began automatically shaking his head. He wasn't even going to hear her out. He had no interest in resolve. His mind had been made up in that hotel room when he decided he wasn't going to take being rejected like that ever again. He was completely done and already taking steps to build a new and better life for himself.

"It's too late," Dmitri shook his head. He finished tying his shoes, trying to ignore the eyes he could feel piercing into him. He stood up and walked over to the door, where was Galina was standing, partially blocking his passage.

"It's not too late," she argued. "It's not over until we say it's over."

"And that's what I'm saying," he said, exhaling a deep breath of exasperation. He smoothed down the front of Nicky's poster, while he waited for her to get out of the way.

"Dmitri-"

"Galina, I'm seeing someone," he blurted out. He hadn't planned to. He hadn't even told his children about this woman yet. She'd been his secret and he had been enjoying the peace and easiness of their relationship. However, it felt good to share the news now. She was going to find out about her eventually anyway.

Galina's mouth gaped open and her pale skin turned even whiter.

"Already?" she blinked at him in confusion.

"Yes," Dmitri nodded. "And it is getting pretty serious. I think I would like to introduce the kids to her soon."

"No, that is not happening," Galina said. She brought her hand up to her mouth and bit down on her knuckles anxiously.

"You don't get to decide that," Dmitri reminded her in Russian. "Can I go now? Nicky needs her project, and you're blocking my way…"

Galina stepped back from the door and Dmitri opened it and walked out without speaking another word.

XXX

She wanted to die but she also had things to do. Completely unaware of what had just transpired, Gloria and Julio had come down the stairs together hand in hand. They had the sonogram to get to, which suddenly seemed far less exciting to Galina than it had when she had woken up that morning. She really didn't feel like going but she would never leave anybody in a lurch by failing to do as she'd promised. She buckled Julio into his car seat for Gloria and then played the radio while they drove because she didn't feel like talking.

"Do you think you could handle the dinner shift yourself?" Galina asked, as she pulled into a spot outside of the Tavern. "I can come if you need me, but I don't think it will be that busy, and I'd like to get some rest."

"Go home," Gloria urged, unclicking her seatbelt. "I feel bad enough making you drive me to that appointment."

"Don't feel bad, I offered."

"Yeah, but that was before you knew what sort of morning you were going to have," Gloria said, with a sympathetic smile.

Gloria had heard about everything Dmitri had said that morning. Once Galina had started sharing, she couldn't stop talking. She was angry, speaking fast and shakily. Beneath her fury though, was considerable pain and Gloria's heart ached for that. Somebody always lost in a divorce and it was sad to see her so broken down about her family's situation. The only thing she could real do was get used to it.

"Honestly, I think the distraction did me good."

"Well, that's something," Gloria said softly.

"Do you want me to take Julio home with me?" Galina offered half-heartedly.

Gloria shook her head. "That wouldn't be very restful," she smiled. "Besides, Nicky and Lorna said they'd come pick him up and take him to the park while I work. Until then, he can watch a movie." They had set up a DVD and TV for him in the office. It was what they had done with their kids when they'd been small and hanging around the restaurant too.

Gloria said goodbye and unloaded Julio out of the car, sending Galina off for some much-needed time alone. Although she hadn't said it, Gloria strongly suspected she just didn't want to have to come in and face Dmitri. It had to be horrible to work with your husband every single day, when you were on the path to divorce, and he had just announced he was in a 'serious' relationship with another woman.

"Gloria, you're glowing!" Sister Ingalls smiled in welcome as Gloria walked into the restaurant. Sister was drinking tea, while a surly looking Daya sat across from her with a baby bump much bigger than Gloria's. "Hi Julio, you look handsome as ever."

"Say thank you," Gloria nudged her son, who hid shyly behind her legs. "Hi, Daya."

"Hey," Daya said gloomily.

With still a few minutes before her shift, Gloria sat down at the table to join them. "Mommy, can I go watch 'Lion King'?" Julio asked, tugging on the hem of her dress as he crouched underneath the table.

"Umm…"

"I'll put it on for him," Dmitri announced, walking over to the table. "I thought Toy Story was your favourite though?"

"Nooo," Julio shook his head, climbing out from under the table and scurrying over to him. "Today I like Lion King." They'd settled into a routine and he always watched a movie while he waited for one of the girls to stop by after school and babysit for a couple hours.

"How did the Sonogram go?" Dmitri asked Gloria curiously.

"Oh, you had your sonogram?" Sister smiled. "Did you find out what you're having?"

"No," Gloria sighed. She reached into her handbag and pulled out the pictures they had given her at the appointment. "Baby would no cooperate. I wanted to know, but I think I'm having a boy."

"I think I'm having a girl," Daya said, "but I decided to wait and be surprised."

"You're going to be in enough shock from them just handing you a baby," Aleida said negatively, walking out from around the bar. "Do you really think the gender is going to make much of a difference?"

Gloria watched Daya sink back into her chair looking deflated and no longer happy to share her pictures. She clenched her jaw and bit back the urge to say anything, catching Sister's eye as she did the same. Aleida was getting to spend more and more time with her daughter. They were working to transition Daya slowly back into the home but had put a hold on the younger children until they saw how Aleida would cope with her daughter and granddaughter. Aleida was frustrated. She'd done everything they had asked for and still didn't have her kids back. She had thought they would all be home in their beds before the start of school, but they were all still scattered through different foster homes. She was tired of jumping through hoops and blames Daya's pregnancy for being another contention social services wanted to hold against her.

"Are you finished work now, Aleida?" Sister asked politely. She took a final sip from her tea and then stood up. "I think I'm going to take a walk and then go buy some groceries. Give you two some time alone together." She squeezed Daya's arm encouragingly.

Sister wasn't obliged to grant Aleida these additional visitations but they thought they would be in Daya's best interest. Mother and Daughter, though they loved one another very much, they also could be like fire and ice. Sister worried about Daya going back into that home full time, terrified that her self-esteem would take a dramatic hit, and that she wouldn't get the support she needed following the birth of the baby. Yet, she needed to have faith. She was doing all she could to help and continuously reminded Daya that her door would always be open to her. She didn't need to be her foster child for that.

XXX

The restaurant wasn't busy and Gloria was fine to do this shift on her own without any help, of which Dmitri probably wouldn't have been, even if she had needed him. He spent most of the evening on his phone, talking quietly into it in the corner. Gloria didn't even need to hassar a guess as to whom he was speaking and just decided to do what she had resolved to do all along, and that was to stay out of it. At least the mystery woman didn't appear to be anyone local.

"I'm home," Gloria called, loving the way the word rolled off her tongue. She set her shoes on the mat neatly and then walked into the living room. It was approaching eight, Nicky and Maxim were lying on the couch together watching television.

"Where's Julio?"

"Ma, put him to bed already," Nicky replied. "He was falling asleep sitting up down here. I think she still read him like a million stories first though."

"That's good," Gloria smiled. "Where is she?"

"Laundry?" Nicky shrugged.

Gloria walked out of the living room and through the kitchen where Yuri and Vasily sat at the table doing homework. The laundry room was just off of the kitchen. It was a small room that seemed even smaller when Galina hung all the clothes from a rope across the ceiling to dry when it was too cold outside. Gloria pushed through the maze of clothes to reach the washing machine against the wall.

"Found you," she smiled, tugging Galina's elbow playfully. "What are you reading?

"It was in Nicky's jean pocket," Galina said quietly, holding up the crumpled piece of lined paper. "She never checks her pockets before throwing things in the laundry."

"What is it?" asked Gloria.

"It's a love note to Lorna," Galina replied, holding it out.

"Hmm," Gloria murmured, taking the note and just scanning the first few lines before handing it back. She didn't want to invade Nicky's privacy. "Well, that explains a lot."


	11. Chapter 11

**Johanna—002 and I wrote this chapter together. **

"_Explains a lot?" _Galina echoed. Her brow creased in confusion as she stared into Gloria's eyes and then back down at her daughter's note, that she had just fished out of the laundry. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Just that I'm not really surprised," Gloria replied calmly. "I've noticed how sensitive Nicky can be about Lorna."

"Because Lorna has a crush on her brother," Galina hissed, her fist clenched, crumpling the note inside of it. "And because Lorna has been her closest friend for her entire life."

The girls had been inseparable since kindergarten, when Lorna had been too nervous to walk into the classroom and Nicky had guided her in by holding her hand. Nicky had always owned any room that she walked into, she knew how to entertain people and get noticed, while Lorna had charmed all their teachers with a sweetness and enthusiasm that few could surpass. They'd been an inseparable team and Galina had always approved of Lorna as a good friend for her daughter. It had just never occurred to her to question whether the relationship would someday go beyond friendship. Not until now.

"That paper in your hand says differently," Gloria said, a slight smirk crawling across her face. "Does this bother you?"

"No. I-I'm confused," Galina said flatly. She slipped the note inside the pocket of her white cardigan and then reached for Nicky's jeans. Slowly she tucked the turned-out pockets back in and then tossed the jeans into the open washing machine with the rest of the load.

"_Is Nicky gay?_" the question begged inside her mind. She filled a cup with liquid detergent and then tossed it into the loaded washer with the dirty clothes. A flick of her hand, and the door slammed down with a thud. She pushed the start button on her pre-set settings and the washing machine began to humm through the room.

Nicky had always been a little tomboyish. Tougher and more rugged than all three of her brothers, but that didn't have to mean she was gay. As her mother, she should have known if she was. Yet, right now, Galina felt completely blindsided by the idea.

"Are you going to talk to her about it?" Gloria asked.

"I don't know how to," Galina replied. She fretfully brushed her red hair back and looked anxious. "We already had the sex talk….but I don't know how to have a sex talk about _this_. Or how even to bring it up…"

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Gloria teased. "All she did was write Lorna a letter. Who knew she was such a romantic?"

"Lorna likes that kind of thing," Galina said genly.

Gloria smiled triumphantly as she saw a twitch in the corner of Galina's lips, before they twisted back into a grimace.

"She wouldn't talk to me about this anyway," Galina said regretfully. "I'm loathe to get any sort of response from that girl that isn't sarcasm these days."

"That's a defense mechanism," Gloria said calmly. "She doesn't mean it."

"She means to upset me," Galina insisted.

"Oh, probably," Gloria agreed. "I have no doubt she wants to punish you for all that's happening right now. I'm sure it's very confusing. You wouldn't think that it would be, it's not like much has changed. From what I understand, Dmitri was hardly around to begin with."

"It is different though," Galina said quietly.

"I know," Gloria sighed. "It's impossible to ignore the truth, especially now that it's so official."

"Do you think maybe this is because of me?" Galina asked, staring at Gloria inquisitively.

"The separation?" Gloria asked, "Well, partly-"

"No," Galina shook her head, cutting her off. "Nicky."

The demise of her marriage had been constantly on her mind since Dmitri had called it quits. Until right now, for which she was almost grateful. She could use a distraction, even if that came at the cost of her daughter's secrecy. They'd always had such an open and honest relationship. It stunned and saddened her to realize that Nicky had been keeping such a significant part of herself private.

"What do you mean?" asked Gloria.

"I breastfed her the longest," Galina said seriously. "She was well past three and I still couldn't get her to fall asleep without laying down to nurse-"

She broke off as Gloria burst into laughter. Galina blushed, regretting the words as soon as she'd said them. It was just inconceivable to her. She wasn't upset necessarily, but she hadn't been expecting this.

"Sorry," Gloria apologized, covering her lips with her hand. "But no… that's ridiculous. I don't think you turned your daughter gay by breastfeeding. Anymore, than me _not _breastfeeding my son is going to make Julio gay."

"I know, I know," Galina shook her head. "I don't know what I'm thinking- I know it's silly."

She sighed and then reached above her head for a t-shirt of Maxim's that had been hung to dry. She pulled in down into her arms and then slowly folded it, before dropping it into a plastic basket on the floor. Dmitri had installed clothes lines from one end of the laundry room to the other when they'd moved in, like spider webs stretching across the ceiling, so that she could hang the laundry to dry in the colder weather.

Wordlessly, Gloria began to help her take down the clothes. They worked in synchronized silence, folding the laundry and adding it to the basket to be put away.

"Ma! Mama?" Nicky's impatient voice preceded her. Galina turned towards the door, a folded sweater was in her arms that she pressed to her chest, just as Nicky burst into the room.

"Ma, can I sleep over at Lorna's?" Nicky demanded. It was the most she had bothered to say to her all day, choosing the spend the evening brooding in front of the television merely shrugging when her mother had tried to ask her about her day.

"I don't know…" Gaina said hesitantly, her eyes blinking in confusion. Her fingers brushed across the fabric of the sweater she was holding, wondering if this was some sort of test. Like Nicky had somehow discovered that she had read her letter.

"What?" Nicky asked in surprise. Her eyes widened and darted over to Gloria, who had continued folding the laundry quietly and refused to meet her eye. Her mother never said no. Asking had just been a formality.

"I think we have stuff to do this weekend," Galina added vaguely.

"What stuff?" Nicky rolled her eyes. "We do the same thing all the time. And we're not doing anything right now because it's night."

"Exactly," her mother replied. "It's dark out, Nicky. You're not going anywhere by yourself."

"Cause it will be the first time that ever happened," Nicky muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" Galina asked sharply.

"Give me a ride if you're so concerned," Nicky argued. "If you won't, Gloria will." She shot a hopeful look at Gloria who paused in her folding just to shake her head at Nicky. Gloria wasn't about to offer the girl a ride when her mother clearly didn't want her to go. Whatever Gloria thought of the situation was irrelevant. She wasn't Nicky's mom.

"I watch Julio for you," Nicky reminded her. The way she said it made Galina bristle, as though her daughter considered it a bargaining chip that she could hold over an adult's head to get her way. All four of her children took time entertaining the little boy and they were tipped handsomely for it. It gave them responsibility, which pleased her, but even more, she expected it of them now. She saw Gloria and Julio as much more than just room & board she could profit from. They felt like family.

"That's enough, Nicky," Galina said sternly.

"What?" said Nicky. "I'm just stating facts. And you're just being crazy and making excuses because you want to take your anger out on somebody, and since Papa isn't going to take it anymore, you decided to pick on me. Even Gloria can see it! When are you-"

"Nicky, go to your room," Galina cut her off. She released the sweater with one hand to point visibly out the door of the laundry room.

"Now!" she snapped, when Nicky stayed rooted to the spot and did not immediately do as she was told. Even Gloria jumped a little at the harshness in her Russian tone. Nicky shot her mother a dirty look but did not argue. She turned on her heel and walked slowly out of the room with her head held high.

"What was that about?" Gloria breathed, once she knew Nicky was out of earshot.

"What?" Galina asked coldly.

"Umm, _that_," Gloria said emphatically, waving her hand out the door that Nicky had just walked out of. "I thought you weren't bothered by it?"

"I'm not," Galina said defensively, tossing the crumpled sweater she was holding down onto the basket of neatly folded clothes. "But after the way she talked to me, she doesn't deserve to go anywhere."

"She was rude," Gloria agreed. "But I think she was just confused because you always let her go to her friends houses whenever she wanted."

"I'm just not sure I should anymore," Galina replied. "What if they do something? What if...I don't know...she starts _experimenting_? I wouldn't let her sleepover with a boy, so I don't think I should let her stay over with Lorna either."

Gloria sighed. With one hand wrapped around her belly, she reached down to pick up the sweater that Galina had tossed. Saying nothing, she straightened up and began folding it properly.

"You don't agree?" Galina guessed. Although she had only a few minutes to process the possibility of her daughter being a gay, she thought she was right to be concerned. She wouldn't let Yuri or Maxim sleepover with girls they liked and when they did have company of the opposite sex, they knew they had to keep the bedroom doors open. And even though Vasily was much younger, and Lida was over all the time, she had never been allowed to spend the night.

"I don't know…" Gloria shrugged, placing the sweater neatly back in the basket.

"You have an opinion," Galina said impatiently. "If you didn't, you wouldn't have made that face. Help me here...am I wrong?"

"I've never raised a teenager," Gloria reminded her, feeling a throb in her stomach as she did. It was the truth. Although there were two girls in their early teens out there somewhere in the world, they didn't exist anymore in Gloria's reality...only when Arturo saw fit to remind her of all that she had lost.

"...but if you want my opinion," Gloria said after a pause, forcing her mind back to the present. "I don't think you can forbid her from doing things when she doesn't know the reason why. I've seen enough to know that Nicky isn't the kind of kid who is going to blindly obey you when she thinks you're being unreasonable. You're only going to make her rebel. If you don't want her to sleepover at Lorna's anymore, than you at least have to tell her you saw the letter and be honest about your concerns."

Galina sighed. "I hate when you're right," she said, offering the smallest hint of a smile.

"You love me," Gloria smirked.

"I love you a little less then I did an hour ago," Galina retorted. She ran her fingers through her hair and closed her eyes. "When did everything become so complicated?"

Gloria giggled. "How about a drink?" she suggested.

Galina opened one eye and peered at her. "You can't drink," she reminded.

"You can drink for both of us," Gloria replied, stroking at hand over her belly. She smiled. "Make that the three of us...he's awake."

"When this baby is a girl… she's going to grow up and act just like Nicky," Galina said as she propped the laundry basket up on her hip. She followed Gloria out of the laundry room, closing the door behind her with her foot. "I want you to remember this conversation, because you're going to be in for quite a ride."

"At least I'll be allowed to drink then," Gloria replied, secretly thinking she would be grateful just to get to experience those tumultuous years with this baby, and Julio. After giving birth to two miracles and then not being allowed to keep them, Gloria was appreciative for every part of motherhood, even the hard stuff.

It wasn't something that she could openly discuss though. Not without causing herself significant pain. It was shameful to admit that they both technically had the same number of children. Except Gloria had been too young and incapable of properly raising her twin daughters, born just three days after her sixteenth birthday. At least according to her aunt, who had insisted Gloria do the right thing and give these babies up for adoption, as soon as she had learned about the pregnancy.

"Vodka?" Gloria asked, as they walked into the living room. There was a cabinet in there filled with bottles of different liquors and wines. Gloria selected the glass bottle of the clear liquid she had learned her roomate favoured.

"You know it," Galina smiled.

"Cool. Can I have some?" Yuri asked, entering the room from the kitchen. "I finished all my homework…"

"If you go fetch me a glass of ice and something to mix it with, then sure," Galina rolled her eyes at her oldest son.

"And a coke for me, please," Gloria added.

"Can I have a sip of yours, Mama?" Vasily asked hopefully.

"Fine," she agreed dully, dropping the laundry basket onto the coffee table. Alcohol had never been expressly forbidden in her household because she'd never wanted her kids to go drinking behind her back. She knew they would do it without her approval or not, if it was something they wanted to do.

_Sort of like sex_. Her conscience nagged at her, as she sunk down onto the sofa next to Vasily and slung an arm over his shoulders. She could tell them to wait, she could make sure they were safe, but aside from keeping her eye on them every second of every day, she could not exactly stop them. She just had to trust that she had raised them well enough to make the right decisions for themselves. Denying Nicky time with her friends would achieve nothing except an even more strained relationship between mother and daughter. And hopefully, at thirteen, sex of any kind was the farthest thing from her mind.

Gloria poured an ounce of the clear liquid into both of the glasses that Yuri held out for her. It was mesmerizing watching the vodka pour over the ice cubes before Yuri added some soda. Gloria replaced the bottle back into the liquor cabinet and then carried the drink over to the couch.

"How was your day, Max?" Gloria asked curiously, settling herself down beside him once she had passed his mother her drink. "You're awfully quiet tonight, that's not like you."

Maxim smirked. Gloria often made a habit of teasing him to talk more, but he enjoyed her attention. As the most quiet one in the family, he often times felt over looked. He knew it wasn't intentional, especially with all the changes happening in his family, but it was still nice to be noticed.

"It was okay," he told her finally.

"How did you do on that Spanish assignment?" she asked. She could feel Galina's eyes on her and she looked over Maxim's shoulder to see the redhead smiling at her. It felt good to know that she was contributing to this family, even if it only came in the simple forms of helping the kids with their homework or asking them how their day was.

"She hasn't graded it yet," he told her. "Last time you made me fail."

"I did not make you fail," Gloria rolled her eyes. "How was I supposed to know your teacher was from El Salvador? Spanish is different there then in Puerto Rico."

"I still blame you," he told her.

Gloria pulled the tab back on her can of soda and then took a long gulp. Perhaps only by coincidence, the baby already seemed to sense the sugar rush. He kicked inside her, dancing excitedly. Gloria hadn't been able to ascertain a time when the baby was most active or quiet, because the only time the movements seemed to cease was, of course, during a doctor's appointment when they wanted to see him in action. The baby was already shaping up to be quite contrary which amused Gloria, as she leaned back into the sofa and rested a hand on her belly.

"Yum!" Vasily exclaimed, licking his lips after taking the smallest of sips that his mother offered him. "Can I have more?"

"When you're older," his mother replied, taking the glass back and bringing it to her own lips.

"Aww," Vasily moaned, just as the phone began to ring. "Probably Lida. We want to go to the movies tomorrow," he told them, sprinting over to where the phone lay in its cradle in the hallway. "No….it's Pop."

"Let it go to voicemail," Galina instructed, but Vasily had already accepted the call.

"_Hey, Pop." _His mother sucked her teeth and let her head fall back against the cushions. Looking irritable she brought her glass up to her lips for another sip.

"Mama?" Vasily held out the phone to her.

"I don't want to talk to him," Galina hissed, but Vasily ignored this. Kneeling up on the sofa beside her he brought the phone cheekily to his mother's ear.

"What?" Galina grunted into the phone. Her husband was angry. Dmitri immediately began sprouting off a slew of jumbled Russian and English which made her stand up and take a few steps out of the room so her sons wouldn't be able to hear in.

"Nicky?" she repeated into the phone. She turned around to call back into the living room. "Did any of you notice your sister leaving?"

Yuri and Vasily both shrugged but Maxim nodded his head. "She left not that long ago," he replied monotonously, never once taking his eyes off of the television that hummed on persistently in the background.

"She didn't even know she left?" Dmitri exclaimed through the phone. "What kind of a mother are you?"

"She was supposed to be in her room," Galina replied. "That's where I sent her when...nevermind, why am I explaining myself to you? Do you still have her?"

"No, she left," Dmitri answered. "I figured she was on her way home and that one of us should go and get her. Thought it should be you."

"Of course, you did," Galina replied through gritted teeth. "I'll talk to you later." She ended the call and dropped the phone back into its charger as though she were mad at it.

"I need to go find Nicky," she said spitefully, coming back into the living room wearing her red buttoned jacket and a pair of black ankle boots. "Do you want to come for the ride?" she asked Gloria.

"Can I come?" asked Vasily hopefully. "I love seeing Nicky get into trouble."

"Stay here," his mother rolled her eyes. "Don't worry. I'm sure I'll still be yelling at her when we get back." She reached a hand up to smooth down the collar of her coat.

"Sounds serious," Gloria said, staring up at her quizzically. "Maybe I should give you two some time alone-"

"I need you there to keep me from strangling this girl," Galina explained. "Will you come. Maxim will listen for Julio. Right, honey?"

"Sure," Maxim replied.

"Not me," Yuri said. Eyeing the half-full glass his mother had set on the coffee table so she could speak to his father, he picked it up and flashed her a futive smile. "I'm under the influence."

"Don't do anything stupid," Galina growled. "I'm only in the mood to deal with one unruly teenager tonight."

...

"She's from Ithaca," Galina growled a few minutes later. They were in the car and had already driven the short distance from the house to the tavern without catching any sight of Nicky.

"Come again?" Gloria blinked, wondering if her friend really was beginning to lose it under the magnitude of stress she had been carrying.

"The license plate!" Galina explained, she pointed her finger roughly over to a beat up grey honda civic that was parked next to Dmitri's truck in the driveway. All the lights in the restaurant were off, but upstairs the lights were all still on and Gloria could make out the shadow of a figure too slender to be Dmitri, standing at the window.

"Ohhh," Gloria murmured, turning her focus to the car where the plates detailed where the vehicle had been purchased.

"That's a couple of hours from here," Galina said softly. "There's a warehouse there where we buy a lot of the supplies for the business. Dmitri has been driving out there at least once a week for the past several years."

"I'm sorry," Gloria whispered. Her hands tightened around the steering wheel and she kept driving past the place, rather than turning in.

"I wonder if this has been going on all this time?" Galina questioned aloud.

Gloria shook her head. "I just don't know," she reached out a hand and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Well, Nicky wasn't walking home. Do you want to try Lorna's next?"

"Yes," Galina nodded. She leaned back in the seat and stared straight ahead down the blackened and vacant street.

"No wonder he never complained about the drive," she added bitterly, almost speaking to herself. "He left me everything else to do. Of course, he had some incentive to make the drive for me out to Ithaca every week."

"I guess the mystery lady is returning the favour now then, hmm?" Gloria replied, trying to lighten the mood. "So Nicky walked into that? Poor girl…"

"Serves her right, disobeying me, and sneaking out of house!"

"You don't mean that," Gloria said softly.

"Well...no," Galina admitted. "And Dmitri said she was upset. He also accused me of sending her down there unannounced to "catch" them together before he could introduce her to them in his own way."

"What's her name?" Gloria asked. She turned the car down the street she knew Lorna to live on. This town had become very familiar to her and it was fun to drive through at night when there wasn't anybody else around.

"I don't know," Galina shrugged. "But I could hear her weeping in the background when we were on the phone. Apparently Nicky said some things that made her cry on her way out."

"Your daughter has your back," Gloria said. "Even when she is mad at you. Poor lady, I wouldn't want to be in her shoes right now. Wait until Nicky riles up all her brothers. They're going to eat that woman alive."

"Good," Galina said with a smirk, crossing her feet at the ankle.

"Good?" Gloria repeated with a glint in her eye. She signaled, unnecessary as no one else was around, and then turned into the gravel drive of Lorna's family home. "Bad, bad-"

"I'm not the one who had an affair with a married man," Galina retorted, unbuckling her seatbelt.

"You don't know _for sure_ that they did either," Gloria pointed out. "Maybe they were just friends until very recently."

"Oh, I know," Galina said gravely. "Dmitri took ages to get the courage to ask me out on our first date, and he needs someone to take care of him. This doesn't surprise me at all. _Of course_, he had somebody lined up ready to take my place. He never would have left, otherwise."

"I'll wait here," Gloria said, as she watched her friend open the passenger car door and step out.

"Thanks," Galina replied. "I'll try not to takebe too long."

"No worries," Gloria said gently. "Take your time."

Galina nodded and shut the car door before setting up the drive. It was a dark night and there were no lights of any sort along the path or on the porch. She walked slowly and carefully, holding on the railing to climb the stairs, and then sucked in her breath as she knocked hard on the door. She hoped Lorna's father wouldn't be too angry about the late call, but she needed to make sure that Nicky was alright.

"Mrs. Reznikov?" Lorna's older sister, Franny, answered the door in a pair of blue flannel pajamas with white clouds printed all over. "Are you here for Nicky?"

"I'm afraid so," Galina replied. "I apologize for the late hour, but it's important."

"That's okay," Franny yawned. "I was just watching TV and the girls are in Lorna's room. I'll go call Nicky down." She held the door open wider so that Galina could step into the foyer. There were shoes scattered everywhere. A much greater quantity than there were of occupants in the house. Galina amused herself while Franny ran up the stairs to fetch Nicky, by counting all the pairs that she recognized to be Lorna's. The girl wore a different pair to school for everyday of the week and clearly nobody made her put them away after. There mother wasn't well and clearly nobody else cared enough to enforce the rules.

"Does Nicky really have to go home?" Lorna asked sadly, leading the parade back down the stairs. Franny was right behind her, and Nicky followed reluctantly behind them both. "Can't she stay?"

"Nicky?" She spoke her daughter's name more as a question and show of concern. Nicky caught her mother's eye only briefly before turning quickly away and glaring in another direction. She'd looked over long enough for Galina to spot the tear stains on her daughter's face.

"I just want to talk to you," Galina said quietly. "In private. Then you can come back in."

Lorna brightened at once, but Nicky still looked skeptical. "What made you change your mind?" she asked suspiciously, shoving her feet into a pair of old sneakers and reaching for her coat. "Did you realize you were just being dramatic before and come over to apologize?"

"Watch that attitude," her mother warned, holding the door open and beckoning Nicky outside into the cool evening. "Or I will make you come home with me."

"Yeah, Nicky, don't blow it!" Lorna called anxiously, before the door closed behind them.

"You could have called," Nicky complained, dropping herself down onto the porch swing roughly. Galina sat down beside her gently.

"You could have done the right thing and not snuck out of the house," she scolded. "You're _never _to do that again. Do you understand me? Anything could have happened."

"Ma, there are like three places besides home that I could possibly be," Nicky said, pressing her feet onto the ground and rocking them on the porch swing. "Nothing was going to happen."

"You could get eaten by a wild animal," her mother argued. "Wandering around town like some sort of feral cat."

"Wildlife is more afraid of you than you are of them," Nicky said monotonously. "You told me that."

Galina bit her tongue, swallowing back an angry retort. She eyed her daughter appraisingly. "Yo know, your father called me."

Nicky didn't say anything. She stared down at her feet, which were continuing to rock the swing back and forth. Neither Lorna or Franny had thought to turn on the porch light, knowing they were sitting out there. The moonlight shone down on them, basking Nicky in an eerie glow.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Galina said quietly.

"Is that why you broke up with him?" Nicky asked quietly, still looking determinedly down at her feet.

"I didn't-" Galina broke off, realizing the details weren't important. Dmitri had been the one to actually say it was over, a truth that seemed to be lost on all of her children. Yet, if she were being honest with herself, she had checked out of the relationship long before he had. Or maybe she had never actually been on board to begin with. It didn't matter anymore. "There were a lot of reasons our marriage didn't work."

Nicky seemed to accept that. She nodded. "Did you know he was dating?" she asked, chancing a glance at her mother's carefully guarded face.

"Honestly, I just found out this morning," she replied. "He told me it was serious and he wanted to introduce her to you and your brothers-which I objected to, for the record. I didn't know she was staying over here tonight or I would have prepared you."

"Sort of hard to do when I sneak out of the house," Nicky replied, sniffling loudly.

"Karma?" Galina suggested. "Maybe that's why I feel okay about not punishing you for disobeying me tonight. I think you've been punished enough."

"Cruel and unusual punishment," Nicky replied, rubbing the back of her hand across her eyes. "She had her tongue down Pop's throat, and he was putting putting his hands on her-sorry," she broke off, catching the stricken look on her mother's face. "Well...it was a horrifying sight."

"I can imagine," Galina said dryly. "He said you made her cry."

"I said that you were way prettier," Nicky said loyally.

"My girl," Galina exclaimed fondly, taking a chance and pulling Nicky tightly into her arms. It was the first time in several long weeks that Nicky didn't push away from her shows of affection.

"And the woman started bawling," Nicky continued her tale, chuckling at the sheer absurdity of it now, though she had cried the whole walk to Lorna's house after leaving. "And I was all like ummm...okay? I guess your complete lack of self-esteem explains why you're settling for someone else's husband."

"Well, he won't be for much longer," Galina reminded her quietly. "We're going to proceed with the divorce, Nicky. Your father already had the papers drawn up."

"I wonder what his hurry is?" Nicky said sarcastically. She sighed and leaned her head back against her mother's shoulder. "I'm sorry for being a jerk to you, Ma," she apologized. "I really thought Pop was leaving because you made him...he said you left him no choice."

"Maybe I didn't," Galina sighed. She dug her hand into Nicky's deep mass of curls and scratched her scalp soothingly. Nicky always loved to have her mom play with her hair. She was the only person really allowed to touch it.

"It's a complicated situation," Galina said finally. "And not one you need to worry about. Everything is going to be okay. Alright?"

"Yes," Nicky nodded, leaning up to drop a kiss on her mother's pale cheek. As she broke away, the glow of a blue light inside the car caught her eye.

"You brought Gloria?" Nicky asked, guessing correctly who the figure in the car had to be.

"You mean your partner in crime? Yes," Galina replied. "She's been keeping me sane all night, so be sure to thank her for me letting you go back inside, alright?"

"I knew I liked her," Nicky smiled.

"You were rude to her earlier," Galina said warningly.

"She knew I was joking," Nicky waved her hand dismissively. "Julio's my guy. I like him more than my own brothers."

Galina rolled her eyes and pushed herself to her feet. Holding out her arms, she smiled gently as Nicky walked into her embrace. "We'll talk more later," she kissed her head. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Ma."

"Goodnight, darling," Galina kissed her temple. "Make sure you behave yourself."

Nicky nodded and raised her hand up to wave at Gloria. From inside the car, Gloria flashed her phone at her in a sign of acknowledgment.

"Night, Mama."

Walking back toward the car, her hands shoved into her pockets, she smiled at the knowing look Gloria was giving her.

"I guess you decided to let her stay," Gloria said as Galina opened the door. She'd been watching them from her position in the front seat, as the mother and daughter talked on the front porch. She'd been expecting there to be knock-down drag out, but it appeared, that for now, all was right in the world.

"She saw Dmitri with someone else's tongue down his throat. I think she's been punished enough. Besides, she needed her friend."

Gloria smiled and reached her hand across the seat to gently squeeze Galina's knee. "You're a good mom," she told her.

Gloria turned the key and the car sprang to life. She was just about to put the car into reverse when her phone vibrated in her pocket. Taking her hand off the shifter, Gloria pulled out her phone and clicked on the text message. It was from Nicky.

"_Thanks for making sure my mom didn't kill me. And for being her friend...love you." _

Smiling to herself, Gloria placed her phone on Galina's lap. "That's quite the daughter you have there. She's going to be just fine." Gloria watched out of the corner of her eye as Galina read the brief message from her daughter.

Galina nodded. "I think she will be."

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Johanna-002 wrote this chapter. **

"Hey, Galina, we're home!" Gloria called as she walked through the front door behind Julio. Her arms were filled with bags from the grocery shopping she and her son had just completed. It wasn't easy shopping for a household of seven, and usually she and Galina tried to tackle the task together, but today she had decided to do it alone.

"Hi," Galina greeted them as she appeared from the kitchen. "I was wondering where you were," she told them as she squatted down to give Julio a hug. "I missed you today," she told him as she helped him out of his coat and shoes.

Usually her mornings and afternoons were spent keeping the little guy company and running errands while Gloria and Dmitri worked the morning shift at the Tavern. This morning had been different, and there'd been a change in their routine when the mother-to-be had woken up in a great deal of pain. It had started in her back and radiated through her stomach, the pain so severe she had been in tears.

Galina had made her stay home and Gloria didn't protest. She'd managed to get some rest and was feeling a lot better by the time noon had come around. Guilty that she hadn't been able to work her shift, she'd gone out of her way to get chores and errands done before Galina got home.

"You saw me this morning," Julio reminded her. 

Galina chuckled softly and kissed his cheek. "Why don't you watch some tv while Mama and I put the food away? Then I'll make you some lunch, okay?" She shooed Julio off with a playful swat to his bottom, watching as he ran into the living room.

"There's still some bags in the car," Gloria told her tiredly. In culmination with the pain she'd experienced that morning, she hadn't been sleeping well the last couple of nights. She'd received a call a few days ago from her lawyer, Tasha Jefferson telling her that Arturo had once again refused to sign the divorce papers he'd been sent. He'd sent them back to the lawyer's office with an angry letter about how they were obstructing his right to know where his wife and step-son were.

"How are you feeling?" Galina asked her friend concernedly. She reached out to take a few bags from her hands and walked behind her into the kitchen. "Have you been drinking water; you look a little dehydrated? Did you sleep at all?"

"I rested, and I feel better than this morning," Gloria told her honestly. She set the bags in her hand on the table and pulled off the cross-body purse that she had been wearing.

"Maybe you should stay home tomorrow too," Galina said. "You haven't been sleeping well since you got that call from your lawyer. I think you could use the time off."

Gloria rubbed a hand over her face and shook her head no. "I don't want to think about it, Galina," she said quietly. "I need to work. I need to stay busy," she said stubbornly.

"I don't want you to stress yourself or the baby out," Galina told her sternly.

"Tasha told me he wasn't going to sign the papers, and if he doesn't, I might have to take him to court." Gloria pinched her bottom lip between her thumb and index finger. "I can't handle all of this right now. What if he finds out about this baby?"

"He won't," Galina promised her.

"Galina, I can't lose this baby," Gloria told her emotionally. "I really can't. If he ever finds out it will kill me."

"That's not going to happen," Galina reassured her. She rubbed her hand up and down Gloria's back soothingly, smiling gently as she felt her start to relax. She moved her hand up to Gloria's shoulders and squeezed gently. "Everything is going to be okay. Try not to think about him, alright. What you need to think about is our appointment next Wednesday. You have your glucose test."

"Yuck," Gloria made a face. She followed Galina out of the house so that they could retrieve the rest of the groceries from the car.

"Then we can work on setting up the nursery after Thanksgiving. I can have the boys pull out the furniture this week and we can clean it up."

"You know you don't have to do that. Sister Ingalls came by the restaurant yesterday and said she had a bassinet for me and I think that would work out better. It's small enough to fit in my room so that I don't have to take up another one of yours."

"Oh, my God, Gloria, we're not having this conversation again. You need your own space and the kids are going to need their own room eventually. I have the space, this house is more than big enough, Please, let me do this. Besides, you don't want to share your bed with Julio forever, do you?"

"Don't you still share a bed with your thirteen and eleven-year-old?" Gloria asked her as she closed the car door with her hip.

"Why do think I'm telling you this?" Galina smirked.

Her kids had always shared a bed with her, even as infants. It had made the early years with each of her children much more bearable, especially when she'd been breastfeeding. The added incentive to co-sleeping was that Dmitri had often had to find another room to sleep in, especially after Nicky and Vasily had come along. There had been a point when she used to have all four children in the bed with her, and while those moments with her children were priceless, and she wouldn't trade them for anything, there was no denying that she'd slept a lot better after they'd all transitioned into their own bed.

"Do you think they'd do another sonogram if we asked?" Gloria wondered out loud. "I'd like to see him moving on the screen at some point in this pregnancy."

"Has she been moving around a lot today?" Galina asked curiously as they walked back into the house. Together, they made quick work of unpacking the groceries.

"He moves around in there all day," Gloria told her. "It's like he's in gymnastics or something." 

"Mommy," Julio called for her as he entered the kitchen. "Mommy, can I have my goldfish?"

"Here, honey," Galina opened the goldfish that she had just unpacked and poured a small amount into a cup for him. As Gloria passed her to put away the peanut butter, she reached her hand out to rub her stomach. "Hi, honey," she cooed, rubbing her hand in circular motions. "Are you ready to come out and join the party?"

The baby kicked enthusiastically in response to her voice, causing both women to laugh. It wasn't unusual that they got such a reaction, over the last few weeks baby had been responding more and more to their voice.

"He better behave or he's going to end up wrapped in his umbilical cord," Gloria said as she poked at her stomach. The baby kicked her back in response.

"We're very excited to meet you too, but you can't come out yet. Okay?" Galina told the baby as moved her hand to the spot he had just kicked. You still have to cook for a couple of months and we don't even have a name for you yet."

"Oh, yea, I should probably start thinking about that," Gloria laughed.

"Julio, what do you think we should name the baby?" Galina asked the young tot.

"Mmm," Julio pondered aloud. "Dinosaur?"

"Mm, we can add it to the list," Galina teased him. "I've always liked the name Koyla or Alexei for a boy. Zoya or Nadezhda for a girl."

Gloria made a face, her nose wrinkling. "I think I prefer Dinosaur… to literally all of those."

Rolling her eyes, Galina turned away from her to unpack and put away the remaining groceries. They worked in comfortable silence until Gloria's cell phone began to ring. Without even looking at her caller I.D, Gloria accepted the call, regretting it almost immediately as her aunt's voice boomed in her ear.

"Hello- Hi… why are you yelling?" Gloria exclaimed. "I can hear you just fine."

"_Why haven't you been answering my calls?" _Lourdes asked her impatiently. _"I haven't heard from you in weeks, Gloria. Is everything okay?"_

"I'm fine, I've just been busy," Gloria told her. She held the phone in place with her shoulder as she put the milk and cheese into the refrigerator. "I haven't been avoiding you," she lied. "I just forget to call you back."

"_So, your roommate has been passing along my messages? The last few times I've called, kids have answered the phone. I wasn't sure if you knew I had called, then I found out you got a cell phone and I've left you a dozen messages." _

"Mmm," Gloria said disinterestedly. "What about you," she changed the subject, "How are you doing?"

"_Now that I've gotten ahold of you, wonderful. I wanted to know if you and Julio planned to come home for Thanksgiving."_

"Ohh," Gloria said softly, her hand moving to her stomach. "Umm," she breathed heavily into the receiver. "I don't know…"

"_It's been years since you've been home, Gloria. I've made the trip to you the past few holidays, and I would really like if you came home to us this year. I think it would be good for you and for Julio. He needs his family and so do you."_

Gloria smoothed her hand over her belly protectively. She was in her sixth month and still hadn't told her family about the baby. The more time that passed, the harder it was to find a way to break the news. She missed her family, there was no doubt about that, and while she would have loved to spend the holiday with them, there was no way she could just show up pregnant.

"_Gloria are you listening to me?" _

"I am," she reassured her aunt. "I would love to spend the holiday with you, but I just don't know… I might have to work."

At her words, Galina turned to look at her. "Liar," she mouthed, the corner of her lips twitching in amusement. The Tavern was never open on holidays, and they'd already had signs posted that they'd be closed for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

"_That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard," _Lourdes criticized. There was a brief pause and then she spoke again, the pain in her voice unmistakable. _"I miss you, Gloria. I'm missing out on Julio's life and I don't want to."_

"I don't want you to, either… it's just… There's a lot going on right now."

"_I will buy the tickets, Mija. You could move home and then I don't have to miss out on these things. You won't have to miss out on things either. This is where you belong, mi amor. This is your home, not there in New York." _

"Can I think about it?" Gloria asked her quietly. "I just… I have a lot to think about right now."

"_Okay," _Lourdes agreed, a sadness in her tone. She cleared her throat, forcing herself to sound okay. "How is Julio? Can I talk to him?"

Gloria smiled sadly, her lips twitching. "Of course, give me a minute."

Giving the phone to her son, she listened as Julio and Lourdes spoke to one another enthusiastically. He described to her all of the adventures that he'd been on lately and about the goldfish he was eating. Listening to her aunt engage him so happily made Gloria feel so confused.

It was hard to be mad at someone she loved and that she knew loved her, and for weeks when she thought about her aunt all she'd felt was anger and bitterness toward her. Lourdes hadn't even known why she was being iced out, and Gloria hated herself for that. She hated herself for giving Arturo the power. He knew that by throwing her past in her face, it would make her feel angry and distrustful of the people that she was supposed to be able to depend on. He knew that by making her feel terrified, he was still in control.

…

It wasn't long before all of the kids were home from school and after an hour of TV, Galina had called all of them into the kitchen to do their homework.

"I did mine in class," Vasily told her, pulling out a sheet of multiplication work. "We had free time today after Ms. Fisher did some practice problems."

Looking over the work, she did the math quickly in her head. "Okay," she handed the paper back to him. "Then you can read for an hour while everyone else does their homework."

"Aww, man," Vasily whined.

"Aw, man," Julio mocked him. He climbed onto the kitchen chair next to Yuri and looked curiously at his school stuff. "What's that?" he asked, pointing to the random doodling on his notes.

"Just a picture," Yuri told him.

"I want to draw," he said, looking at Galina. "Can I do something too?" He always liked to feel included, and tried to mimic the older kids where he could. Galina and Gloria had taken his curiosity to their advantage, working with him so that he could learn his numbers and letters and most recently why how to write his name.

"Sure, honey, give me a few minutes. Okay?" She looked up at the sound of footsteps and smiled at Gloria. "Did you get any sleep?"

After her phone call with her aunt, Gloria had excused herself to her room and had slept away most of the afternoon. Whether it was mental of physical exhaustion that was wearing on her so much, Galina wasn't sure, but she had been more than happy to let her sleep. She knew Gloria was worried about Arturo and she didn't blame her. Despite the fact that he didn't know where she was, and he didn't know about the baby, the mere fact that he could discover the truth was enough to make any woman paranoid.

"I needed that," Gloria said, rolling her neck around her shoulders, sighing in relief as her neck easily popped. She moved her hands to her lower back and arched into her touch, the pressure from her unborn child feeling much more bearable.

Galina dropped a bag of spaghetti into the pot of water that she was boiling. "Will you get Nicky for me?" she asked Gloria. "Tell her she needs to come in here and do her homework."

Gloria smirked and turned to do as she was asked. Knocking on the teenager's door, she opened it gently, poking her head inside. "Hey, _Mija, _your mom said to come do your homework in the kitchen."

Nicky was sitting in the middle of her bed with her legs crossed. She stared at Gloria blankly before looking down at her legs. "Can you shut the door?" she whispered.

Frowning, Gloria stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. "Everything okay, _mama_?" She walked the short distance over to Nicky's bed and took a seat on the edge.

Wordlessly, Nicky passed her the piece of paper she had been looking at. Instantly, Gloria recognized it to be the love letter to Lorna that Galina had found in the laundry. "You're quite the poet," she told the girl as she passed the letter back to her.

"I found it on my dresser when I got home from school," Nicky told her quietly. "I think my mom found it and put it there… I thought I had thrown it away." She sighed and picked at her fingernails nervously. "I don't know what to do about it."

"What do you mean?" Gloria asked her gently. "I think it's a beautiful letter. Have you ever thought about giving it to Lorna?"

"She doesn't like me like that," Nicky said sadly, pulling at the skin around her nail. "She likes Yuri, remember." Thinking about her best friend being in love with her big brother made her feel so angry and stupid. She would give anything for Lorna to feel that way about her, but Nicky didn't exist as anything more than a friend.

She had written Lorna the letter explaining how she felt and how much she adored but had chickened out before she could give it to her. It was why they had fought a few weeks ago, Nicky had felt so vulnerable and exposed, and the thought of Lorna discovering how she truly felt made her all the more embarrassed. Why would Lorna ever love her as more than a friend?

"Nicky, you won't know for sure if you never ask," Gloria told her.

"She's not my only problem," Nicky told her. "What about my mom? What if she is mad at me, or embarrassed by me? I don't mean to like girls but I just do… I don't know why I am-"

"Baby girl," Gloria shushed her, "You don't have to apologize for that or even try to explain it. I think you underestimate your mom, Nicky. She loves you so much. Why do you think she would be mad at you or embarrassed by you? Maybe she put the letter back so that you would know that she is okay with it."

"Why didn't she say that then?" Nicky asked.

"Maybe she doesn't know how," Gloria told her truthfully.

Galina had debated for a while about how to talk to Nicky about the letter, but each conversation that she had practiced with Gloria had never conveyed all that she had wanted to express. They'd agreed that perhaps the best course of action was just to put the note back in Nicky's room and let her talk to Galina about it on her own terms.

"Until lately, you and your mom haven't been talking all that much," Gloria told her with a knowing look. "She probably didn't want to upset you and risk pushing you away if she said something wrong."

"Yea," Nicky agreed, her spirits lightening at having a better understanding of what her mother may be feeling. "I guess I was kind of a brat to her, huh?"

She loved talking to Gloria. Sometimes she was easier to talk to than her mother. She didn't love her more than her mom, but the relationship between them was definitely different. Gloria was always neutral and never made her feel like a stupid kid. She liked when adults treated her like she had a brain. Too often she felt as if she were underestimated, but never once had Gloria ever made her feel that way. It didn't hurt that she suspected herself to be one of Gloria's favorite people, even if she couldn't get her to admit it.

"Just kind of?" Gloria mocked her playfully.

Nicky smiled. "I know… I know." She sighed and pushed her large, massive curls out of her face. "It's hard now," she said. "I was mad at her but now I'm mad at my dad. He cheated on her, Gloria… and then he blamed her and told me she was the one who broke up the family."

Gloria patted her knee affectionately. "I don't know what to tell you, _Mija. _I wish I did."

"Sometimes it's just good to talk to you, you don't always have to say anything," Nicky reassured her. Gloria nodded and playfully scratched her fingernails against Nicky's knee.

"Can I tell you a secret?" Gloria asked, her brown eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Ohhhh," Nicky moved on her knees so that she could be even closer to Gloria. "I _love _secrets."

Chuckling, Gloria tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "When I was your age, maybe a little older, closer to Maxim's, I had a girlfriend."

"What?" Nicky asked in surprise, her eyes wide in amazement. "No… No!"

"Yes!" Gloria exclaimed with a laugh.

"What was her name?"

"Maria… Ruiz? I think," Gloria shrugged. "It's been a long time, but I think her last name was Ruiz."

"How long did you date her?"

"A while," Gloria nodded. "We didn't really call it dating then, though. I think we just thought we were experimenting. We were probably in denial. She was my favorite person though, just like Lorna is yours. I think I may have liked her more then she liked me, because then she got a boyfriend and she didn't really hangout with me as much."

"Did you do like… more than kissing?" Nicky asked her shyly. "I haven't even kissed anyone yet.

Gloria felt her cheeks heat up but she laughed off her embarrassment. She had certainly experimented in more ways than one, with both girls and boys, which was why gotten pregnant at fifteen, but she wasn't about to tell a thirteen-year-old girl that. She knew she was probably crossing a line by simply telling her she'd had a girlfriend. Galina had said she was okay and supportive of Nicky being gay, but that didn't exactly mean that she wanted her daughter to be exposed to this sort of conversation.

"So," Nicky looked down at Gloria's stomach and then back to her eyes. "Are you like, bi-sexual or something?" she asked her. "Piper is kind of," Nicky made a scale like motion with her hand, "Playing both sides too. She told me she likes Alex but then she sat with this guy names Larry at lunch."

"I am… pregnant," Gloria laughed as she cradled her abdomen. "I am not going to be dating anyone for a long time. Boyfriends and husbands never seem to work out for me though. Maybe the next time around I should date a woman, huh?" she joked. 

"My mom is single," Nicky told her in a sing-song voice.

"Nicky!" Gloria smacked her knee.

"What?" The teenager challenged her. "It's kind of like you're married already. She tells everyone all the time that we are _all_ having another baby, and she tells my dad that you're more helpful than he ever was. Besides, it would be cool to have two moms for real. Maybe everyone would think she's the reason I'm gay."

"Do not tell your mother that," Gloria warned her with laugh, immediately thinking back to the very conversation she'd had with Galina, when she asked if breastfeeding Nicky too long was responsible for her feelings toward girls.

"Fine," Nicky scoffed. Inhaling a deep breath, she asked, "How should I talk to her about this?"

"Just talk to her, Nicky. The way that you always do. I promise your mother loves and accepts you regardless."

"What if I don't want her to tell my dad?"

"I don't think she's speaking to him much these days, so I don't think that will be a problem. You tell whoever you want to tell in your own time, and if you don't want to tell them, you don't have to."

"What about your aunt?" Nicky asked her, "What did she say when she found out about your girlfriend?"

"Oh, no, no… no, no, Lourdes never found out," Gloria shook her head adamantly. "My cousin, Blanca, walked in on me kissing her once, though. I had to swear her to secrecy to never tell her mom."

"Is your aunt really that bad?" Nicky asked sadly. "You never want to talk to her when she calls."

"I talked to her today," Gloria shrugged. "She wants me and Julio to go home for Thanksgiving and she said something about us moving there, but I don't know. It's so complicated sometimes. You know, my parents died when I was pretty young. A little younger than Vasily, and I was an only child. When I went to live with my aunt, it was hard because she has kids of her own and I wasn't the center of attention anymore and I just felt left out I guess."

"Wait," Nicky looked worried. "She wants you to go home? Like… forever?"

Gloria nodded. "Yea, I don't know what I'm going to do. She says she misses me and Julio and I miss her too sometimes. She's all I really have left, ya know? It'd be like leaving the only mom you ever really had forever."

"Well… you can go visit her," Nicky said.

Gloria laughed softly. "Nicky, would you miss me if I left?"

"Duh," the teenager scoffed. "You're the one keeping my mom sane right now. She would be so sad. What would she do without you? And she's so happy for the baby to come. Does your aunt even know about the baby yet?" Nicky shook her head no and climbed off the bed so that she was standing in front of Gloria. "You can't just leave her because my dad already left her."

"I don't think I could leave you guys forever," Gloria reassured her a she rose to her feet. She put her arm around the girl in a side hug. "You guys are like my family too. I would miss you and so would Julio."

"Have you told her about the new baby?" Nicky asked unhappily. She wasn't going to return Gloria's hug until she knew she wasn't going to leave them.

"No… but I will, eventually," Gloria promised. "I won't leave you guys," she told her. "Who would I get to babysit for me anytime I needed?"

Nicky smirked before finally wrapping her arm around Gloria's waist. They heard Galina yelling for both of them to hurry up and Gloria sucked her teeth guiltily. "I think we're gonna be in trouble," she said as she walked with her arm around Nicky toward the kitchen.

"Son of a bitch!" Galina exclaimed as they entered the kitchen. Nicky and Gloria shared a look with one another worriedly.

"What's the matter?" Nicky frowned.

The peaceful evening Galina had hoped to have with her children and Gloria was squashed the minute as she read the text message from Aleida. "Your father," Galina said. "Aleida said he's been gone for hours." She turned off the burner under the spaghetti she had just made. "I have to go and help her close up and balance out the cash register."

"We're about to eat," Yuri objected. "Where is Pop?"

Galina shook her head and said, "I don't know, Son. I'll try to make it quick. You all eat dinner without me, I'll be back as soon as I can." She shared a look with Gloria across the room as if to say, _you know exactly where he went._

Ever since the incident where Nicky had insulted Dmitri's girlfriend, he'd become almost invisible. He hardly showed up to work and when he did, he was either late or left early. The phone calls and regular visitations that he had once had with his children had all but ceased, and he blamed Galina for that every chance he got, accusing her of brain-washing the family against him. Which was so far from the truth it was laughable. There was no way that she would force her kids to accept Dmitri's new girlfriend, but that didn't mean she was going out of her way to destroy their relationship with their father either.

As she grabbed her coat and purse, Galina anger surge through her blood. She had been looking forward to eating dinner with her family and the fact that she was once again having to clean up after Dmitri infuriated her.

She could hear Gloria and the kids banter back and forth as they served themselves dinner and it warmed her heart as much as it broke it. Gloria loved and adored her children as if they were her own, and the kids welcomed and thrived off of her presence in their life because she played the role that Dmitri was supposed to. She was there for them, she helped them, she listened to them, and she joked around with them. She was reliable and trustworthy, and had become more involved and invested in their life in the last six months, then Dmitri had ever been in the last sixteen years. Galina wasn't sure how she had ever been able to function without her.


	13. Chapter 13

**Johanna-002 and I wrote this chapter together. **

"I think this is one of the best Thanksgivings I've ever had," Gloria praised as she finished cleaning off the table. She carried a stack of plates over to the sink and smiled apologetically at Vasily, who had been tasked with washing the dishes.

"Me too," Lida beamed. She was standing at Vasily's side with a drying towel in her hand. She'd been made to spend most of the day with her own family, but had all but begged to come over, so Healy had dropped her off just in time for dessert. The weather outside was dreary and bleak, so she couldn't walk over by herself, but Galina had promised to drive her home.

It got dark so early this time of year and the heavy rain they were currently experiencing was breaking down the fresh snow that had fallen only yesterday. Yet, inside the large house, it was warm and cozy. At his mother's bequest, Yuri had built a fire in the living room and the kids had kept trickling in and out of the kitchen, where Galina had spent most of the day cooking up a storm. It was the first major holiday she was celebrating since she and Dmitri had separated, and she had wanted everything to be perfect.

"Me too," Galina echoed Lida, flashing a smile at Gloria as she carried a Tupperware container of leftover turkey to the refrigerator. "You know, you'd think with a family so large, we wouldn't have this much left over, but by the looks of things, I think we'll be having Thanksgiving dinner for the next week."

"Can I come for that too?" Joel Luschek asked, walking back into the kitchen with Maxim.

"You're bothering to ask permission?" Galina squinted at him. Joel had shown up on their doorstep just a few minutes before they had been read to sit down for dinner. Apparently, his mom had put raisins in all the main dishes at home to punish him for his latest transgression. He'd ridden over on his bicycle, arriving at their house muddy, wet, and chilled to the bone. But after changing into a set of Maxim's clothes, he was ready to join them at the table.

"I like your apple pie," Joel said. "Can I have a piece for the road?"

Galina pulled a glass pie plate out of the fridge that had been wrapped in a cover of plastic. The apples she'd used had come from the orchard behind their house. Gloria and Julio had discovered it to be an annual tradition in their family. They'd all set out on a hike up to the meadow where the apple trees were back in September. The kids were experts at climbing the trees and shaking the branches to send a cascade of apples raining down. Julio had loved picking them up one by one and putting them into the baskets. It had been a fun experience, and afterwards he had helped Galina make at least a dozen apple pies and a big batch of applesauce.

"You can have more," she said, handing him the pie plate to serve himself, "but there's no way I'm allowing you to ride your bike back home in that downpour."

"I don't mind getting wet," Joel shrugged. He picked a piece of pie up with his hand and took a big bite from it like it was a slice of pizza. No plate or fork required. Galina's eyes narrowed as she put the remainder back into the fridge.

"Not only that, but it's cold outside," she reminded him. "In this temperature the rain is likely to freeze and you could break your neck on the ice. I'll give you a ride home in a little while. I have to take Lida home anyway."

"Alex said her mom would, when she gets here," Lida said, looking over her shoulder as she dried out the gravy boat that Vasily passed her. "She'd probably drive you home too, if you ask. What time do you have to go?"

"Doesn't matter," Joel shrugged. "My mom knows where I am." He took another bite of his pie and then followed Maxim back into the living room. All the kids had congregated there in front of the fire for a game of Charades. Julio was included and thought it was the funniest thing. Not officially on any particular team, he went around to whoever he wanted to be with and acted out words with them, despite not having any idea what he was actually doing.

"I should pack up some leftovers for Diane when she gets here," Galina said, referencing Alex's mother who had been required to work this Thanksgiving Day. She'd dropped Alex off on her way by that morning, assuaging some of her guilt about not being able to spend the holiday with her daughter. It worked out fine, though. Nicky and Alex got on extremely well and often seemed to have more fun than when they were weighed down by Piper and Lorna's drama. The other girls had spent the day at home with their families.

"Why not? We've got more than enough," Gloria replied. She reached into the cabinet where she knew the Tupperware and other storage containers to be. She'd really enjoyed the day and managed to block out any guilt she was harbouring, to just live in the moment. Lourdes had been very disappointed at her decision to stay put for the holiday, but Gloria just hadn't been prepared to fly out to see her yet. She was happy where she was, and looking around at all the people who had gone from strangers, to friends, to family in such a short while, she knew she had made the right decision.

"I'm really glad you stayed," Galina said softly, as though she could read Gloria's mind. She smiled as she accepted the Tupperware containers that Gloria passed her. "I know your aunt wasn't happy, but thank you for spending this holiday with us."

"She is going to want me to go home for Christmas," Gloria told her. "I might go if I tell her about the baby. I'd love to get out of the snow."

It was already shaping up to be a long winter and she was dreading it. After a summer and autumn spent predominantly outside playing hard in nature, it was getting harder and harder to keep Julio cooped up inside. Unlike the city, here, there weren't many indoor places to just be in poor weather and they were experiencing the downside to the Idyllic country living they had so far enjoyed. It was a lot of work. Wood for heat needed to be piled, the trampoline and patio furniture needed to be taken down, and winter tires had needed to be put on the car.

"How were you thinking about telling her?" Galina asked curiously.

"I thought about sending her a text message like Daya did when she told Aleida, but I think that might make things worse," Gloria smirked. She'd been putting off announcing her pregnancy to Lourdes for so long that it had become ridiculous. She knew she was only making things worse for herself and Lourdes would likely be very angry when she found out she had been kept out of the loop for so long, but Gloria just hadn't wanted to talk about it. A part of her had always hoped Julio might let it slip for her when speaking to his great-aunt on the phone.

"Yea, I wouldn't follow in fifteen-year-olds footsteps," Galina scoffed as Gloria rolled her eyes. "You know, if you would have listened to me when I told you to do it months ago, you wouldn't be in this situation."

"Not all of us can be as perfect as you, Galina," Gloria kidded her as she began to sweep up the kitchen. "Are you going to call Dmitri again and see if he wants to come see the kids?"

Gloria smirked as her supposedly innocent question had the desired effect. Galina, who had her mouth open about to argue more about how Gloria needed to tell Lourdes about the baby, promptly closed it.

"He knows where we live," she muttered. "We haven't moved."

She hadn't heard from Dmitri at all in over a week. At Gloria's encouragement, she'd invited him to come spend Thanksgiving with her and the kids, but once expressing that his girlfriend was _not _invited, Dmitri had been considerably less enthusiastic. Though he'd never actually come out and said no, neither she nor Gloria were surprised when he hadn't shown.

"It doesn't matter," Gloria assured her quickly. "Today has been great and I don't think the kids even had time to notice he wasn't here." She paused as the chime of the doorbell rang through the house.

"Maybe that's him," she teased.

Galina rolled her eyes. "I doubt it," she replied dryly, adding some of her whipped mashed potatoes to a container. Turkey, potatoes and gravy, carrots, stuffing, salad, bread, and pieces from two different kinds of pie. Alex and her mother would be able to have another Thanksgiving feast just themselves when they got home.

She put the lid on the mashed potatoes and then walked over to the front door, shoving her hands into the deep pockets of her apron. She'd adamantly refused to have Dmitri's girlfriend anywhere near her house, but that didn't mean he would actually listen to her. She'd already had the misfortune of dealing with the woman at the Tavern, where Dmitri had all but moved her upstairs with him. It was degrading and embarrassing to see them together so intimately. To have to wonder what was happening right above her head while she worked. She couldn't do anything about it. She had to be there. She needed to earn her living. But it seemed especially cruel to have to watch her husband move on so happily, right in front of her, without any shame.

Tammy, or the 'weeping woman', as Nicky called her, seemed delicate but kind. She acted skittish and nervous around her boyfriend's intimidating ex-wife, which only encouraged Galina to act even more coldly toward the woman. Any hopes Dmitri had of introducing Tammy to his kids positively, had fallen out the window as soon as Nicky had walked in on them. In a single second, Nicky had gone from blaming her mother for pushing her father away, to being as loyal of a daughter as any. She'd rallied her brothers up and as a united front they'd all decided to hate the woman before they even met her.

Galina almost could have felt sorry for her, except she didn't. Tammy had made her bed when she'd chosen to get involved with a married man and his children's refusal to accept a person who had so disrespected their mother was just something she would have to content with. Galina knew from Dmitri's own admissions than he and Tammy had been talking and flirting for quite some while. Making plans for a future that had been conditional until Galina had rejected her husband in the hotel suite and, unbeknownst to her, giving him permission to consummate the relationship he had been considering. She wasn't about to encourage her kids to give someone like that a fair chance.

"My goodness! Come in out of the cold," she exclaimed, swinging open the front door and seeing Aleida's daughter shivering on the porch. Daya was wearing a coat barely thick enough to keep her warm and too small to zip closed. Her big, rounded belly stuck out proudly; the fabric of her sweatshirt soaked. Her eyes were red rimmed, tears on her cheeks blended in with rain drops.

"What on earth are you doing here?" Galina asked, as Daya wrapped her arms around herself and stepped over the threshold of the door. "I hope you didn't walk all the way over here in this weather!" _In your condition_, she silently added to herself.

"Is Gloria here?" Daya asked with such an urgency in her tone, that Galina didn't hesitate for a fraction, calling for Gloria over her shoulder.

"What is it?" Gloria asked, appearing in the hall. "Daya?" she exclaimed in surprise, sharing a disconcerting look with Galina as they passed.

"I'll give you two some privacy," Galina murmured, disappearing back into the kitchen.

"What's the matter, honey?" Gloria asked worriedly. Her eyes swept over Daya, taking every bit of her in. The wet clothes, the matted hair, the sad face. Daya had moved back in with Aleida only a week ago, and now Aleida was in the process of getting her younger kids back too. Things had seemed to be going well enough. Daya had been hanging around the tavern a lot doing homework while she waited for her Aleida to finish her shifts.

Daya shook her head frantically, as if to say _'not here'_.

"Let's go upstairs," Gloria suggested, understanding Daya's need for privacy. "We'll have a talk. Maybe find you some dry clothes." Daya nodded, looking relieved. With difficulty, she slipped out of her wet running shoes and set them side by side on the mat.

"What are you doing?" Julio asked curiously, appearing in the hallway. He looked adorable with the bottoms of his too-long jeans turned up and in a red cable-knitted sweater.

"Going upstairs for a few minutes," Gloria replied, placing her hand encouragingly on the small of Daya's back.

"Can I come?" Julio asked.

"I-"

"No, Julio, you come with me," Galina interrupted, coming back into the hallway after him. The Charades game had broken up, and Julio had gone in search of his mother.

"But I don't wanna…" Julio protested.

"Come anyway," Galina coaxed, scooping the toddler up in her arms despite his protests. "I need your help with something."

She carried him back the way he had come. Gloria smiled and beckoned Daya up the stairs ahead of her. What was it about kids that they always needed you right when you got busy with something else. Or god forbid, decided to look relaxed for a moment.

"Never a moment's peace," Gloria sighed dramatically. "Soon you'll know what I'm talking about."

At her words, Daya burst promptly into tears and Gloria took her by both shoulders and guided her over to the bed to sit down.

"Ah, _mija_," she sighed, squeezing Daya's shoulders tightly and running her thumbs soothingly over them. "Tell me what's wrong…"

"How is it being back with your mom?" she pressed, when Daya still didn't say anything. At this, Daya scoffed.

"I wish I was back with the nun," she said.

"Why?" asked Gloria. She lightened her grip on Daya's shoulders but continued to rest her hands there, a show of support. That while she may have become good friends with Aleida and rooted for her to regain custody, she was always there to listen and help her daughter. Daya knew this. It was why Gloria was the first person she thought of right now. Sister Ingalls was lovely, but there was something in Gloria that Daya found inherently relatable.

"She is going to make me give the baby away," Daya sniffled. "She took me to go see a lawyer yesterday and we've been fighting ever since."

"What?" Gloria gasped. This was news to her and usually Aleida was the Queen of oversharing. Yet, for some reason she had chosen to stay quiet about this particular plan, almost like she knew that it was wrong.

Daya wrapped her arm around her baby. "She said she isn't taking care of another kid and that if I don't give the baby up, she doesn't want me home."

"She said that?" Gloria said skeptically.

Daya nodded and tears streamed down her cheeks. "Gloria...I don't want to do that. She can't make me, can she?"

Gloria didn't know what to say so she pulled Daya closer into her arms and felt the weight of the girl crush against her, as Daya sobbed in the safety of the arms of somebody who understood. More than anyone really knew. It felt like Gloria was holding her younger self, and for a brief moment she wondered how different her life would have turned out if she had had somebody to comfort her like this when she had been in Daya's same situation.

"It's going to be okay," Gloria murmured, stroking her fingers through Daya's hair which was wet and cold from the falling rain. "I know how it feels to give up a baby."

She felt Daya stir in her arms and Gloria's hands paused as she looked down at the scared and exhausted girl. Daya opened her watery eyes to stare up at Gloria questioningly, waiting to see if she would elaborate.

"I have up _two _babies," Gloria confessed quietly, looking down at Daya sadly and smoothing her hair back as she spoke. "Two baby girls, when I was just a little bit older than you. They're going to be thirteen soon and I still feel like a piece of my heart is missing, every single day."

"Did you want to?" Daya asked her quietly.

Gloria shook her head. "No, baby, I didn't." She felt the kicking and tumbling of her unborn child and closed her eyes. "I would do things differently if I could," she confessed.

"I don't know how," Daya whispered brokenly. "I don't know what to do. Where would I go? How would I-" her words were cut off by the sudden sob that tore through her larynx.

"That is not a decision that _anyone _can make for you," Gloria told her emotionally, "Not even your mom."

"She's serious, Gloria. I know she is." Daya pulled back so that she could wipe her eyes. They were red and tender from all the crying she'd done.

Gloria looked up to the ceiling, willing herself not to cry. If Aleida could see her daughter now, there would be no way she could live with herself and the pain that she'd caused her. Pulling Daya tight against her, as close as their large bellies would allow, Gloria vowed to herself that she would advocate for Daya with everything she had. Somehow, she would make Aleida understand, because any amount of effort and sacrifice would be worth it to save what was left of her daughter's innocence and spark.

... 

Hours had passed and Gloria hadn't had any luck with getting Aleida on the phone. Her blood felt hot and if she didn't know better, she would swear that it was boiling inside of her. "Aleida," she growled into the phone, "Call me back. Don't make me beg." Slapping her phone down on the coffee table, she bit the inside of her cheek painfully and hung her head.

She'd lost count of all the hours she had spent listening to Aleida cry over her kids, and about how unfair the system was that they ripped families apart, and yet, here she was, threatening to rip her granddaughter away from her mother. She didn't understand it. She never had. It was one thing for a woman to decide that adoption was in both her and her child's best interest, but it was another for someone to _take _that choice away. How could anyone be so heartless?

"Everything alright?" the touch on her shoulder was gentle, but Gloria still jumped half-way out of her seat. Her heart felt like it had leapt out of her chest and a gasp escaped from between her lips.

"You scared me!" she breathed, clutching a hand to her pounding heart.

"I can see that," Galina replied, gazing down at her with worried eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I'm worried about Daya," Gloria admitted quietly. The kids were out for the count, Julio sprawled out in between Nicky and Vasily in Galina's bed and Diane had picked Alex and the other's up hours ago, promising to drop each of them off at their respective homes.

"I guess that explains why she is upstairs asleep in your bed?" Galina replied. "I walked by and the door was open. Is Aleida coming to get her soon?" she asked curiously. After Daya had arrived, it was as if the entire joy of the holiday had been sucked from her home.

She wasn't exactly sure what had happened or what Daya had said, but all she'd known was that Gloria had gone from a cheerful, pregnant woman who'd had too much to eat, to a ferocious lioness stalking her next prey. Her anger was more than obvious as she cursed back and forth between English and Spanish, threatening Aleida in message after message to call her back.

"I dunno," Gloria sighed, glancing forlornly at the phone. "I can't reach her." She rubbed her sweaty hands down her thighs, and reaching her knees, she dug her fingernails into them painfully.

"It's getting late," Galina told her unnecessarily. "She'll be worried if she doesn't know where her daughter is."

"You would think," Gloria said bitterly. "But Aleida isn't that sort of a mother. She's nothing like you, or even me. She probably hasn't even noticed Daya is gone."

"She worked so hard to get her back, she must care," Galina said.

"She is trying to force her to give up the baby," Gloria hissed angrily.

"What?" Galina exclaimed; her brows furrowed in confusion. Of all the things she had expected Daya to be so upset about, this hadn't even crossed her radar. "What do you mean she's making her give up the baby?" Her eyes shot up to the top of the stairs, for reasons unknown to her, Gloria had seemed to develop a deep connection with Aleida's daughter. It was understandable why the teenager had sought her out, and suddenly Gloria's extreme frustration seemed to make a lot more sense.

"You heard me," Gloria replied, rubbing her hand over her face. She could feel the comings on of a powerful headache, undoubtedly brought on by too much stress. Her body felt tight and heavier than usual; with each breath she took sending a stabbing pain through her abdomen that didn't want to stretch any further.

Gloria placed her hand on her ribcage and readjusted her position on the sofa. "She took her to meet with lawyers yesterday," she explained, glancing into Galina's questioning eyes. "She told her that if she doesn't give the baby up, she isn't going to allow her home."

"She's fifteen years old," Galina hissed, "Where the hell is she supposed to go? How is she supposed to take care of a baby on her own if her mother throws her out?"

"Thank you!" Gloria exclaimed passionately. "That's what I wanted to ask the _cabrona _myself, but she won't answer my calls."

"Maybe she should go back to Sister Ingalls. She'd take her back in a heartbeat if that was what Daya wanted," Galina replied, as though it was the simplest of things. "I told you that woman was no good."

"I'm not sure willingly entering back into foster care is the answer either," Gloria said knowledgeably. "I mean-would they even keep Daya and the baby together? They might decide adoption for the baby is the best thing too."

"This is terrible," Galina said sadly. Her stomach felt knotted and tense at the mere thought. Since becoming a mother herself, 16 years ago, the biggest fear of her life was that her children could be taken away from her. She always thought it must be the scariest thing for any mother, but apparently not for Aleida. Not if she was willing to force her daughter through unspeakable agony for mere convenience. There had to be another way. There were all kinds of assistant programs available for situations like these, surely Aleida would know how to work the system in her favor by now. Hell, she'd gotten her kids back after involving herself in a coke-dealing business. 

"Isn't it?" Gloria choked out. "It's the most terrible thing anyone can do to another person. Especially to someone they claim to love." Her hands wrangled together fretfully and Gloria leapt off the couch with the agility of a woman in much better shape, who was not currently heavy with child. She regretted her movement instantly. Wrapping an arm around her stomach and wincing at the sharp stabbing pains that she had invoked.

"Are you okay?" Galina asked worriedly, all thoughts of Daya and Aleida flying out of her mind. "Gloria?"

"I'm not going to let Aleida do that to Daya," Gloria snapped, ignoring the question and her own agony. "I know how it will destroy her and eat at her every single day for the rest of her life. She'll spend every waking moment filled with regret-one that isn't even hers to carry-all because somebody forced her to give up her baby. This isn't Aleida's choice to make."

"How are you going to stop her?" Galina asked patiently, surprised at the measure of venom in Gloria's tone. "Honey," she said gently, watching as Gloria pant madly, her chest up and down heavily. "Are you sure you're okay?" She was sad about Daya but her focus right now was on Gloria, and she was growing increasingly concerned, watching as Gloria clutched her side in pain.  
"You need to sit down," she instructed her friend.

Gloria shook her head. "Your every thought is about them," she continued, ignoring Galina's concern. She refused to sit back down or even consider her own personal state. Her mind was in a whole other place right now. "Your heart beats for them and you can feel the emptiness, and no matter how happy you are, or how much you try to move on, all you feel is a giant hole." Tears were now falling freely as she continued to speak with such fire.

"I know you care about her and that this is upsetting for you, but you-"

"You don't get it!" Gloria hissed at her. "No one does! No one ever gets it. It's not their choice to make, and they think that it is. They think that they have the right to just take your babies from you and that it doesn't matter, but it does and no one wants to talk about it. She has no idea how much this is going to destroy her!"

And suddenly, it was as if Galina had entered a limbo between reality and a world that was playing in Gloria's head. The room was silent except for Gloria's sobbing, tears streaming down her cheeks. This was no longer about Daya and Galina could sense it. She could feel the grief and it was crushing, so much so that Gloria's legs gave out beneath her and she fell back onto the sofa.

"You gave a child up for adoption," Galina whispered, as if all of the pieces were coming together. It was a puzzle she hadn't even known she was trying to solve, but suddenly it all made sense.

"Children...not child," she Gloria answered. A shiver ran down her spine and she rubbed her hands over her face to wipe away her tears. "Girls. Twin girls."

"Gloria…" Galina sighed. She didn't know what to say. It certainly explained things, like why she had taken such a protective interest in Daya from the start and why she'd always rallied to understand Nicky. It was confusing too. Gloria was such an amazing mother to Julio. It was shocking to realize that she had two more children out in the world that she had no part of anymore.

"They'll be thirteen soon," Gloria said quietly. "Nicky's age."

"Why haven't you ever told me about this?" Galina asked. She was a little hurt. They'd grown very close and discussed pretty much everything… or at least she had thought that they did. This was just such a huge revelation to have kept to herself all this time.

"I haven't really told anyone, Galina," Gloria replied brokenly. "It was nothing personal."

"Oh, my god," Galina breathed, rubbing her forehead, everything was coming together faster then she could connect it. She nodded at Gloria's rounded belly. "That's why you haven't told your aunt… she made you give them up?"

"I was fifteen," Gloria whispered, as though that was reason enough. She wrapped her arms around her belly and hugged herself, like that would keep this baby safe. "I was scared she would try to take this baby too."

"She can't," Galina promised her. "I would not let her."

"Logically, I know that," Gloria sighed. "I know she wouldn't," she clarified, "But when I found out I was pregnant I wasn't in the most ideal situation and it wouldn't be smart to bring a child into the life I was living, but that's why I left."

"You ran because you were pregnant," Galina moved toward her on the sofa. "You did the right thing," she reassured her passionately.

"I did," Gloria agreed, flashing her a sad sort of smile as she wiped away the tears continuing to fall. "But I didn't know that it would. I came here expecting nothing, and instead I've found everything. I had no plans though. I was running. Running from my husband and running from Lourdes too."

"Is she that awful?" Galina asked concernedly. She'd been pushing Gloria to be honest and tell her aunt the truth, but now she too felt nothing but a maternal urge to protect the baby she had already come to love and want so much. She knew it was Gloria's child, but somehow it felt like hers too.

"No," Gloria shook her head, wiping away the tears that continued to fall. "She's not awful. She's not," she licked her chapped lips and shuddered. "I- Just the last thing I wanted to do was turn up on her doorstep pregnant. I didn't want to disappoint her _again_. None of my kids have been born under ideal circumstances and she doesn't think I deserve to have any of them."

"She's wrong," Galina said firmly, tilting Gloria's chin up so that she was looking at her. "You're an amazing mother to Julio, Gloria, and I know you are going to be just as wonderful to this new baby too."

"And even though it would have been hard, I also know that you would have been so good with your little girls, if you'd had the chance," Galina added gently. "I'm sorry that you didn't." She moved her hand out to rest on top of Gloria's where it was still holding her bump. They both smiled, chuckling softly as they felt a strong kick. The baby adamantly protesting the change in its normally peaceful environment. 

"I'll never forgive her," Gloria said darkly, as she protectively stroked her abdomen. "I love my aunt but I will never be able to forgive her making me give away a huge piece of my heart. It was never a conversation; I was just always told what I was going to do. I never felt as if I had a choice."

"You don't have to forgive her," Galina replied. "I know I couldn't...I'm having a hard-enough time forgiving Dmitri for simply wanting to introduce his new woman to my children, and I know she's not even a real threat."

"Fortunately for you, they don't plan to give her the time of day," Gloria reminded her. "Dmitri really screwed this one up. They're definitely all mama's babies."

"I only hope they stay that way," Galina replied. "I've always been afraid that they will all just grow up and leave me."

"That won't happen," Gloria promised. "They adore you, and who can blame them? I wish I was half the mom that you are. Hell, I wish I was half the woman you are. They are very lucky kids."

She bit the inside of her cheek, wincing at the lingering pain in her back. Leaning back against the couch, she rested comfortably next to Galina, not unlike the way Daya had rested on her mere hours before. She knew that Galina would not mind. There was a comfort there now and a naturalness that made everything easier when they were together. That was what happened when you endured unique heartbreaks simultaneously. They were both struggling, and they were both still trying their hardest for the children who depended on them.

Looking down at the pale hand that was still on her stomach, Gloria smiled tiredly. "You work so hard, and you're such a good mom," she praised her. "You give everything you have to your kids, and the way you've taken me and Julio in… Galina I could not thank you enough if I tried."

"We've been through this before," Galina interrupted. "You're actually helping me. I'd have probably had to sell this house once Dmitri left if you weren't here."

"Well, you didn't know that was going to happen when you first invited us to stay on," Gloria reminded her. "And you did it anyway." She exhaled a deep breath as another pain rippled from her back to her front. She moved her hand calmly across her stomach, willing her body to return to a state of calm.

"I like having you both here," Galina confessed.

"You don't deserve the way that Dmitri is treating you and has treated you. You're definitely no saint… but I don't think you were a bad wife either."

Galina cleared her throat. "And all this time I've been wondering if I'm broken… he used to tell me that all the time, you know. That I'm cold and hard to love and maybe he is right."

"I don't think so," Gloria shook her head confidently. "I think you've got to be the most compassionate person that I have ever met."

"If I would have just settled for the way things were, maybe my family wouldn't be destroyed now," Galina said sadly. "I could have played along better. Keep my thoughts to myself, say yes to sex a little more often-it wouldn't have taken much."

"That's not a life," Gloria replied, peaking an eye open to look at her. "Not a life someone like you deserves anyway. I think you're happier, these last few months. I can see it. You seem happier." She closed her eyes once more and arched upward. It felt as if electricity were coursing angrily in her lower back.

"It is because I have you," Galina told her truthfully. "I'm so glad you came here Gloria. I mean, I wish things were better for you at home and that you didn't feel so much animosity toward your aunt. I think she definitely loves you, but I don't know how I would have made it these last couple of months without you. Little things like cooking dinner, or helping the kids with their homework, moving laundry from washer to the clothesline to dry... you don't understand how much that means to me. ... even just to have someone to talk to at night… and in the morning... I know it sounds ridiculous but I feel more married to you than I've ever felt as Dmitri's wife."

"Mhmm," Gloria murmured, standing up again with an urgency that made Galina immediately worried that she had said the wrong thing. But then she watched Gloria double over in pain as she gritted her teeth together, and she realized at once that something was very very wrong.

"What's wrong?" she demanded. "Do you need to go to the hospital?" She was on her feet now too, her hands-on Gloria's elbows as the pregnant woman let out a whimper from the pain.  
The last appointment they went to everything was fine, but Gloria has had quite a few days when she'd been in pain so severe, she'd been unable to move. Second and third pregnancies were supposed to be more uncomfortable, but not like this. Galina couldn't ever remember being in pain like this before she was actively in labour.

"Oh my god…" she gasped.

Gloria noticed it at the same time she did, reaching between her legs to press her fingers against the small stain that had bled through her pants. "Is that blood?" she asked, panicking as she looked at her hand.

"Okay, try not to panic… don't panic," Galina breathed, feeling her own heart rate begin to surge as she stared in horror at the blood stain on Gloria's pants growing darker. It was much too soon for any of this. "I am going to get you to the hospital okay. Everything is going to be fine."

**Thank you for the reviews. **


	14. Chapter 14

Staring up at the white, glaring lights, Gloria exhaled a deep and slow breath. The reclined position she was laid in caused an excruciating wave to surge down her spine, and she moved her hand beneath her back to try to alleviate the pressure against her sensitive nerves. It felt as if her child were trying to suffocate her from the inside and she gritted her teeth as her son cheekily kicked his foot into the corner of her ribs.

"Are you alright, Gloria?" the concerned voice of her doctor, Sophia Burset, asked.

"Yea," she whispered, closing her eyes.

"We'll try to make this quick and painless for you, okay?" Sophia reassured her as she squeezed a glob of cold gel onto her belly.

Gloria nodded obediently and tried to slow down the racing of her heart. She was fearful that her doctor would be able to pick it up through the fetal doppler in her hand, and she didn't want anything to interrupt the beautiful melody of her baby's heartbeat. It was one of the only things, in addition to her sonograms, that kept her looking forward to her appointments.

Growing up she'd been taught to fear doctors and hospitals, instead raised with the belief that natural remedies were the way that God intended for people to find healing, and even after having children and personally benefiting from serious medical attention, that phobia and belief had never really gone away. After all, it had been a doctor who'd given her father a terminal cancer diagnosis, and a hospital where her mother had gone and never returned from, so it seemed only natural that she reserved her right to be cautious.

"Are you getting plenty of rest?" her doctor asked her.

"Yes," she replied softly.

Dr. Burset nodded. "And drinking lots of water?" she asked.

"Mm-hmm," Gloria mumbled in the back of her throat. She opened her eyes to stare at the monitor and bit her lip in eager anticipation. It felt like yesterday that her child's life had been in danger, and despite the many reassurances to the contrary, it was a feeling she simply couldn't let go of.

Thanksgiving night had been the most terrifying night of her entire life. In addition to her blood soaked pants, and the severe abdominal cramping that left her unable to walk, Gloria had also stopped feeling the movement of her baby. Galina had tried to calm her down, but Gloria was someone who could not be consoled. Once she'd seen the blood, all rationality had gone out the window and Galina had quickly ushered her out of the house and into the car before she'd woken up the kids.

Galina had taken charge of the situation, and Gloria didn't know what she would have done without her. She sat in a daze, on the folded towel Galina had thought to put beneath her to protect the seat. Gloria's mind was foggy, unable to think of anything but the pain. She'd watched Galina run back to the house, and it was only once she'd returned and announced that she'd assigned Yuri the task of watching over Julio while they were gone, that Gloria even remembered that there was more than just this baby inside of her to consider.

"Look at that," Sophia marveled as she moved the doppler over Gloria's abdomen, echoing the words she had spoken the night she'd seen her in the county emergency room . "Looks like you've got a soccer player in there."

Gloria smiled as she watched her sons movements on the screen. "He's healthy?" she asked gently as she stroked the sides of her stomach gently.

"Very healthy," Sophia promised her. She continued to move the doppler, only coming to a stop when the baby's heartbeat registered the most clear through the device in her hand.

"Are we still thinking it's a boy?" Galina asked curiously as she scrutinized the screen. "I thought Gloria's been carrying this baby pretty high."

The doctor chuckled softly. "That's just an old wives tale," she said. "I am 100% positive that this baby is a boy. You see this here?" she pointed at the screen, "That's the male anatomy, and according to the blood work we did at the hospital, baby had XY chromosomes."

"I told you," Gloria smiled, turning her head toward Galina who had accompanied her to nearly every appointment. Usually the redhead waited for her outside, but after the scare they'd endured, she'd since been accompanying her into examination room. Her presence had always served as a welcomed distraction and as they began to enter into the final trimester, Gloria was in no position to turn away any of the support that she was being offered.

"His heart sounds so strong," Galina cooed.

"Like a little hummingbird," Gloria whispered emotionally. It was hard to believe that there had been a time, a mere few weeks ago, when she'd feared she'd be losing him. She had yet to meet him, but already she couldn't imagine life without him, and the prospect of losing him before she'd even been given the chance to say hello would absolutely destroy her.

"This is a very healthy and active baby," Sophia reassured them. "He's a little on the large size, but I still think we can expect him to make his arrival at the end of March." She reached for some tissue and gently cleaned the gel from Gloria's belly, then she clicked a few buttons on her computer and waited for the sonogram pictures to print.

"And how are you managing stress?" the doctor asked as she handed her copies of the sonogram.

"Fine," Gloria said, distracting herself as she pulled her purple sweater down over her rounded abdomen.

"Liar," Galina's thick accent interrupted.

"Galina," Gloria hissed, clenching her jaw. She looked up at her Dr. Sophia Bursett. "I'm fine," she promised. "I've been doing everything you told me to do, and I even cut back hours at work. I make sure to rest and drink lots of water, and I'm taking my vitamins."

Rolling her eyes, Galina shook her head no. Sophia, who was typing notes at a stand-up computer on wheels, arched her brow curiously.

"She's lying," Galina said finally. "She only rests because I make her, and when she does finally sleep it's not peaceful. She's up constantly throughout the night, walking up and down the stairs like a hamster spinning in its wheel."

"Galina-"

"Shh," Sophia interrupted Gloria, she then nodded her head for Galina to continue.

"She does drink water but not nearly enough. It's like having to force a toddler to eat their vegetables, but worse because Julio loves vegetables, and most importantly, no-she is not managing her stress well."

Sophia smiled kindly and cut her eyes to Gloria. "Is that true?" she asked gently. When Gloria refused to answer, Sophia shook her head and chuckled. "Gloria, I don't need to tell you that your body is sensitive to stress, especially in your condition, alright. What happened a few weeks ago, with the bleeding and cramping, it's not healthy. Your body and your son can not handle the way you choose to internalize what's going on in your mind."

Gloria sighed and stroked her hands protectively over her swollen midriff. "That wasn't even my fault," she murmured.

"Of course not," Galina reassured her. "But you were so worried about Daya and Aleida that you worked yourself up so much you couldn't calm down. It's not healthy."

"No, it's not," Sophia agreed. "Can I ask what you're stressing about now?"

"Her aunt wants her to fly home for Christmas but Gloria hasn't told her about the baby," Galina said knowledgably. "I told her she can't put it off forever but she doesn't listen. Now, her aunt is calling her and wanting to know how come she hasn't bought her ticket."

Gloria rolled her eyes up at the ceiling. "I bet you still come into your teenage sons' doctor's appointments and try to do all the talking for them too, huh?"

"If I can't trust them to be honest," Galina replied coyly.

Sophia shook her head at them. "You two sound like an old married couple," she teased, "but I'm glad someone is taking your stress levels seriously, Gloria. You need to learn how to relax."

"Yes," Gloria breathed. She wriggled uncomfortably on the cot. "Can I get up now?" she pleaded.

Dr. Burset nodded her head and offered the expectant mother her hand so she could assist. "My wife is a little further along than you are and she always complains about how uncomfortable it is for her to be on her back." She pressed her other hand to the small of Gloria's back and guided her up into a sitting position.

"This is a big baby," Gloria said affectionately, one hand was on her stomach as she allowed her doctor to help her off the table. "I feel like he'll come before March."

"Subsequent pregnancies are generally quicker," Sophia told her. "I'd like to keep him in there as long as we can, so please, be mindful of that. Stress can induce labor and we don't want that. I need you to take care of yourself alright?"

"I got it," Gloria nodded her head. Looking to Galina she asked, "Are you going to take me shopping now? You said if I was good and cooperative, that you'd take me into the city."

"Does lying count as good and cooperative?" Galina rolled her eyes.

"You're going into the city?" Sophia asked with raised brows.

"My babymoon," Gloria smiled. "She promised me a weekend of shopping and no kids." At her words, her unborn son kicked her. "Except for you," she patted her abdomen. "You're invited to the party."

Sister Ingalls had kindly offered to keep Julio for her, when the original plan had been to bring him along. Gloria hadn't been able to turn down a chance for some adult time, and SIster had become a good friend to her in the past few months. Gloria knew she could count on Julio to be well cared for for a night, and Galina's kids would be around to play with him the next day. They'd purposefully selected a weekend they were scheduled to be with Dmitri anyway.

Galina's cheeks reddened slightly. "Is that okay?" she asked uncertainly, raising her eyebrows at the doctor. "I won't let her overdo it and we can get out to stretch a lot on the drive."

"I'm fine," Gloria said impatiently.

Galina narrowed her eyes at her. "I'm asking the doctor, not you."

"Christmas shopping?" Sophia asked

"Yes," Galina nodded. "I still have a few things I need…"

"And I haven't started," Gloria chimed in. She reached for the jacket that Galina had been hanging onto for her and slipped her arms in the sleeves.

"Well, I think that will be fine," Sophia chuckled. "Have a good time." 

…

It was strange to be visiting the city at Christmastime without her children, which was something that had become sort of an annual tradition over the years. They would stay in a hotel with a pool, visit their favourite sights, and help their mother hunt for bargains for everyone on her long list. It was something they all looked forward to and had no intention of changing, but when December rolled around Galina found herself inviting Gloria on a kid-free trip on a weekend that Nicky and her brothers were scheduled to be with Dmitri.

Though she felt more than a flicker of guilt about it, she felt like it was a bit of self-preservation as well. Her life had always been completely revolved around her children and now she was expected to give them up half of the time. She wasn't even going to get them on Christmas day, which seemed unfair to the point of being cruel. Dmitri was the one who had chosen to leave and move in with someone else immediately, but it was she who would be left out of the family on one of her favourite days of the year. If it weren't for Gloria and Julio, she would be all alone.

That her children were uncomfortable with their father's new girlfriend, was but a small comfort. She felt bad that they were forced to interact with a new woman, watch her be affectionate to their father, and invade their family with Dmitri's blessing. Yet, at the same time, she was glad they didn't like her. She lived in constant fear of being replaced.

Though, as she walked down the busy New York City sidewalk, Galina was smiling as if she didn't have a care in the world. She felt the snow crunch beneath her feet and felt the cold air nip her nose and cheeks. Darkness had fallen and the Christmas lights and the regular city lights made everything seem all the more beautiful. She was far enough away and surrounded by enough commotion that she couldn't really concentrate on what her kids were doing back in the country. She was fully present in the moment.

"What are you thinking?" she teased, turning to look over her shoulder at Gloria who had slowed her stride. Galina's brow creased in concern. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yes, I'm feeling okay," Gloria reassured her for what had to be the fifth time. "I was just trying to remember the last time I walked on sidewalks made of actual concrete." It had been about seven months ago. This was her first visit back since fleeing from her husband and it felt like a pilgrimage of a sort. She was glad to be there, even if it was only temporary.

Galina rolled her eyes. "We have concrete," she argued, adjusting the many bags she had hung on her arms. She had refused to allow Gloria to carry any of it and they had bought a lot.

Gloria shook her head. "You live on a dirt road," she pointed out.

"The main road is paved," Galina replied, "and there are sidewalks along the strip in town."

"I know," Gloria agreed, "I'm just teasing you." She quickened her pace to catch up to the redhead, who was still walking briskly like she wasn't burdened down with parcels. "That just feels worlds away from here."

"Mmmm…" Galina's eyes flicked over to Gloria as she considered her. "Do you miss it here?"

"Honestly, yes," Gloria nodded. "I miss having Starbucks on every corner and living in a place where everything doesn't close down by 7 pm. I miss city life, but I wouldn't want to move back."

"Oh, no?" Galina cocked her head in surprise. "Why not?"

Gloria smiled at her. "Because there's no you," she said simply, and catching Galina's blush she hurried to add. "And your kids. I'd miss being a part of your crazy lives."

"I don't know what I would do without you," Galina said honestly. "I expected to feel really depressed, but I'm not. I'm happy."

"You seem happy," Gloria agreed.

"Overspending on all these gifts for kids who aren't even going to be there to open them on Christmas morning-"

"They'll be there Christmas Eve," Gloria reminded her. "And home the day after Boxing Day. I know it's not ideal but it's going to be fine. You said it yourself you always celebrate Christmas for the whole entire month."

It was an understatement. In the days following Thanksgiving, Gloria had rested on the couch while she watched Galina transform the inside and outside of the house with decorations that made it rival the North Pole. They'd taken the kids to a Christmas tree farm to cut down their own tree, as per tradition, and then everyone had helped to decorate it in the living room.

That wasn't all though. Once the house was dressed from top to bottom in Christmas spirit, Galina had retreated to the kitchen and started baking. Batches of Sugar cookies in holiday shapes were always set out on the table. They had butter tarts, squares, and pies galore. Galina gave out decorative plates of baked goods to lots of her acquaintances as gifts, and the house always smelled amazing. Though she secretly loved it, Gloria had playfully complained she was beginning to feel like an elf that had been taken hostage. A fat elf at that, because she was never able to resist helping herself to whatever sweet of the day Galina had set on the kitchen counter.

"I don't like them being with him," Galina said bitterly. She nodded her head at Gloria. "But I _am _enjoying just being with you," she conceded. "This is nice."

She had never felt freer. Navigating the snowy streets with Gloria, not having to wonder in what ways Dmitri would have trashed her carefully kept home while she was away because he wasn't there. She wouldn't be returning to a stack of dishes nearly as tall as her or be expected to have sex as a gratuity for being granted a few moments to herself, That was a wonderful change.

"Do you want to go back to the hotel now, or keep shopping?" she asked Gloria.

They had driven the car to the train station after Gloria's doctor appointment and rode into the city where they were going to stay in a hotel overnight before going home the next morning. Gloria didn't feel too nervous about leaving Julio with Sister Ingalls. Although she hadn't spent a night away from him since he was born, she knew he was fine and had no intention of freaking out. Galina had been anxious enough about it for the both of them.

"Maybe we should go back to the room," Gloria suggested, eyeing all the bags on Galina's arms. "You won't let me help carry stuff and I don't think you can possibly hold another thing."

"We did pretty good, didn't we?" Galina said, ignoring Gloria's light complaint about not being allowed to carry her own bags. She was treating her like a fragile doll-unnecessarily, she knew, but it was nothing for her to carry a bit more of the slack right now. She had been doing it all of her life and Gloria was with child. Galina remembered what it was like to be expecting her own babies and also expected to cope with things above her that she really had no business doing. Like shovelling the snow off the driveway, or driving herself to her appointments and trying to keep an eye on her older children while being examined. Galina would rather be guilty of doing too much for Gloria than not enough. It took very little effort on her part, and had her wondering why Dmitri had refused to do the same when she'd been having his babies. That he couldn't be bothered was a continual reminder that as hard of an adjustment as this was, she was well rid of him.

"I think I just want a few more things for Nicky and then I'll be done everyone," Galina said, as they began walking in the direction of their hotel. She'd booked a place in the center of everything, with all her favourite stores at her feet.

"What were you thinking?" asked Gloria.

"Sweaters."

"She's going to love you for that," Gloria smirked. Nicky didn't seem like the kind of girl to get excited about new clothes for Christmas. "Or are you blaming that particular gift on Santa Claus?"

"I don't care," Galine replied. They reached the golden doors of the hotel and she waited for Gloria to open it so they could go inside. "I'm just sick of that navy blue hoodie with the frayed sleeves she insists on wearing every other day. I'm thinking of telling her it got ruined in the wash."

Gloria pushed the button for the elevator and they both stepped inside when the doors opened. "I think you're going to like what I got you," she said.

Galina flashed her an embarassed sort of smile. "I told you not to get me anything," she reminded her.

"Like I was really going to listen to that?" Gloria rolled her eyes, selecting the number for their floor and leaning her back against the wall as the glass doors closed.

"You shouldn't have," Galina reminded her quietly. "I paid your salary, it's not much, and you should be putting everything you have into getting ready for the baby."

"Between a free wardrobe that should last him until he starts school, donated toys, you basically wanting to do a whole nursery for him, there's nothing left for me to buy," Gloria pointed out. "Besides, what I got you isn't expensive. I just think you'll really like it."

"I'm sure I will," Galina told her, stepping out of the elevator when it reached their level and then turning back to wait for Gloria. "Nobody has given me a present since I was still living with my parents in Russia. Besides, homemade stuff from the kids."

"My opinion of Dmitri gets even lower," Gloria commented, swiping her key to open the door to their suite. "Even though I'm trying to keep out of it."

"Sorry," Galina apologized gruffly. She'd never been very good at keeping her low opinions of her husband to herself and especially when her kids weren't with her, she didn't like to hold back.

"Don't be sorry," Gloria said, walking over to the bed in the middle of the room and sinking onto it. "I still just can't grapple why he was dumb enough to ever want to leave you."

She unzipped the front of her maternity jacket and slipped her arms out of the sleeves. She tossed it onto the armchair close to the bed and then wriggled her feet out of the boots. It had been the perfect day as far as she was concerned and their suite was beautiful. If Galina was so concerned about her relaxation, she had certainly found the right way to ensure she got it. Gloria hadn't felt this care-free in she-didn't-know when.

"Are you hungry?" Galina asked, setting all their shopping bags onto the desk. "We could get room service or there is this really great restaurant downstairs. We usually eat there whenever I bring the kids."

"If you're good with room service, I wouldn't mind that," Gloria replied. She fell back against the soft duvet. "I don't feel like putting my shoes back on."

Galina reached for the takeout menu and then joined her on the king sized bed in the room. They made their choices together and then Galina called down their order. They'd even ordered desserts and at Gloria's urging, she had requested some champagne for herself. Gloria didn't mind if people drank around her while she was pregnant.

"Sorry there's only one bed," Galina apologized again, laying down herself on the side closest to the door. She didn't want to admit it, but she was tired. "I didn't realize it when I made the reservation."

"I don't mind," Gloria replied. "And we both spend nearly every night curled up with our kids, I think sharing a bed all alone might be even more of a challenge."

"Maybe you're right," Galina smiled. "I keep thinking we should call and check on them-"

"No," Gloria shook her head. "Sister would have phoned if Julio was having any problems and calling him will only make him miss me. And same with your kids. If they need you, they'll call, but if you phone over there and get into it with Dmitri, you won't be able to enjoy yourself like I've noticed you are."

"Fine, I won't," Galina conceded. She reached her arms above her head and stretched. The suite they were in was gorgeous and very high up so that she didn't feel like closing the curtains. The lights from the city glittered outside the window like low hanging stars.

Beside her, Gloria slid up the bed so that she could rest her head on her pillow. She curled onto her side, wrapping an arm around her baby. "This has been a really good day," she said, rubbing her hand against Galina's arm.

"It has been, hasn't it?" Galina agreed happily. She reached across her body to cover Gloria's hand on her arm with her own. She squeezed her knuckles affectionately and they both lay there in silence for awhile. Enjoying the peace and recouping for a tiring day. The travelling had been long and every place they'd gone had been packed.

They were almost lulled into sleep when there was a distinctive three knocks on the wood of their door. "Room service," a man's voice professionally called. Gloria froze for just a second and then she climbed off of the bed and sprinted over to the door on silently padded feet. There was a peep hole and she peered into it once, before letting out a whimper and backing away.

"Gloria, wha-"

"Shhhhh," Gloria hissed.

"Do you want me to get the door?" Galina frowned.

"Don't let him in the room," she leaned over to whisper in Galina's ear. Then she picked up her boots from the floor and her jacket from the chair and scurried into the bathroom. The door closed tightly behind her and Galina could hear the click in the lock.

"Room Service?" the man's voice repeated in the hall. He rapped three times on the door in the same pattern he had used the first time. Galina wasn't sure what to do so she walked over and opened the door.

"Sorry about that," she apologized.

"No worries, ma'am," the man replied. He was tall, with wavy brown hair, and striking dark eyes that were almost black. Wearing the green concierge uniform she had spotted on others down in the lobby, he made to push the cart holding their food into the room. Galina kicked up a foot against the wheel to stop it.

"I've got it," she explained. The concierge nodded his head and this time, Galina looked away from his eyes to stare at his chest. Pinned to his lapel was a brass name tag. _Arturo_. Gloria's strange behaviour immediately began to make a lot of sense.

"Here you are," she said, reaching into her pocket for a dollar bill. She tipped him.

"Is there any other way I can be of assistance?" Arturo asked politely.

"Not at the moment," Galina said coolly, she pulled the trolley through the door of their suite and then closed it in his face. For several long seconds she didn't move. She could hear his footsteps walking away and once she was sure he had gone, she opened the door back up and hung the _Do Not Disturb _sign onto the handle.

"Gloria?" she whispered softly. Skidding around the trolley she walked over to the bathroom and gently rapped on the door.

"He's gone?" a trembling voice asked from inside.

"He's gone," Galina promised. "So that was him, then. How were you so sure?" The door unclicked and then swung open, revealing Gloria looking pale and shaky, with her arms wrapped protectively around her middle. Galina immediately reached her hand into the crook of Gloria's arm and pulled her closer.

Gloria's arms immediately wrapped around her neck and they were hugging. Gloria leaned her head forward against her collar bone and began sobbing, her salty tears rolling down Galina's skin as she held her.

"The way he knocked on the door," Gloria whispered, her voice muffled against Galina's neck. "It's uniquely him. Always used to drive me nuts whenever we'd go somewhere, and he thought he was being clever."

"I didn't even notice it was strange," Galina replied. "I suppose if I heard it all the time. Sort of like all of Dmitri's idiosyncrasies that drive me insane…"

"Fuck," Gloria hissed, "how did he find me?"

"I don't think that he did, Gloria."

"He was standing right at the door," Gloria hissed, pulling out of their embrace. She hurried over to the door and peered back through the keyhole. The hallway was empty.

"I think he just works here now," Galina tried to soothe her. "Your aunt never mentioned-"

"How would she know?" Gloria snapped impatiently. She covered her face with her hands and let out a little moan. "Fuck…" she said again.

"It's okay," Galina said. "This hotel was booked in my name, with my credit card. There's no record of you being here at all, and how would Arturo know to look for me? He doesn't know where you moved, right?"

"He just happens to be working in the same hotel that we're staying at," Gloria said, staring back at her with wild eyes. "In a city as big as New York? Really?"

"We're not far from where you used to live," Galina reminded her. "I think this is merely coincidental. If he knew you were here, he'd have beaten the door down when I tried to close it. He'd have said something. Asked me to get you to talk to him."

"What if he saw me in the lobby?" Gloria asked panickingly. "When we were coming just now, or maybe when we were checking in?"

"I don't think so," Galina shook her head. "That lobby was crowded. Love, I really think you're safe."

"If he sees me," Gloria whispered. "If he finds out I'm pregnant…"

"He won't," Galina said confidently. "Darling, I promise. I won't let that happen. I put the Do Not Disturb sign on the door so nobody will bother us tonight. Tomorrow, I can go check us out myself and then we can leave. Unless you'd feel better just going home now?"

"I'm afraid to leave this room," Gloria admitted.

"He must work the night shift, anyway. To be here now." Galina replied. "Maybe just stay in the room and we'll get an early start tomorrow morning. We can have breakfast in the room."

Gloria nodded her head. "Okay," she whispered.

"I promise I won't let anything happen to you," Galina vowed, she walked closer and engulfed her back in a hug. She had liked when they did that. "Make that _either _of you," she smiled, feeling the baby push out the front of Gloria's belly a little. "I already love him so much."

Despite herself, Gloria couldn't help but smile at that. "We both love you too," she said, before she could help herself.

Galina beamed at her words. "I can call us a cab if you want to go home," she offered again.

"No," Gloria shook her head. "I want to stay here with you. I'm sure it's fine…"

"You're not supposed to be stressed," Galina reminded her.

Gloria rolled her eyes. "Tell Dr. Burset, good luck with that one."

Galina sighed. "Well, at least come sit back down, then. Hmm? With me. Are you still hungry?"

"Yeah," Gloria sighed. She reached for Galina's hand and squeezed it as she passed by her. Sitting down on one of the two matching armchairs by the window. Galina opened up the covered dishes on the cart and made Gloria's plate up for her. Everything smelled delicious and Gloria was instantly ravenous, balancing her plate on her belly like it was a table. She dug in, watching Galina fix herself a plate and pour some of the champagne into a glass for herself before remembering to bring Gloria some water.

"You take way too good of care of me," Gloria exclaimed, wiping the excess water from her lips after taking a sip.

"I like to," Galina shrugged.

"I'll still never understand why Dmitri let you get away," Gloria shook her head. "You're the best wife ever."

"He didn't let me get away," Galina corrected her. "He left me, if you recall. You were there."

"You left him a long time before that," Gloria replied. "Emotionally. You were just done. I bet you were every bit as loving to him as you are to me, once upon a time."

Galina shrugged. "Maybe," she conceded. "I tried to be a good wife to him. But I never liked him as much as I like you."

She took another sip of her champagne and stared out the window while they quietly ate their dinners. When they were done eating, Galina piled all of the dishes back onto the cart and wheeled it out into the hallway for pickup while Gloria slipped into a bubble bath in the lavish bathroom. It felt a little bit like playing house. Gloria kept the bathroom door wide open invitingly, and Galina showed no inhibition in coming in to shower in the standup beside the tub, and then changing into her pajamas, and brushing her teeth while Gloria soaked.

"We need to do this again," Gloria said, later that night, when they slipped into the bed together and turned off the lights.

"Like once a year?" Galina asked.

"Yes," Gloria exclaimed. "Or even more often if we can swing it."

They sounded so much like a couple trying to negotiate date nights while navigating the busy world of parenthood. So much was left unsaid. Gloria was living in the house with her indefinitely, and they talked more and more like it was to be a permanent arrangement, though neither had come outright and said it. Gloria just knew she had no plans to move and wasn't even considering her aunt's proposal to come live in Florida with her anymore. She just didn't know how to explain to Lourdes what was going on here. She didn't even really understand it herself.

"I'm going to tell my Tia about the baby when we get home," Gloria spoke in the darkness.

"That's good," Galina murmured. She turned over in the bed to face Gloria, they had both wormed their way closer to the center of the bed so that they were nearly touching. "Is it really that worrying?"

"She's going to try to drag me back to Florida when she sees I'm a single mom of two now," Gloria said dully.

"Yes, but you're not alone with them," Galina reminded her. "I'm here."

"Yes," Gloria giggled. "But I don't even know how to describe you. Lourdes just knows you as my boss at the restaurant who also happens to rent out rooms in her house where I'm staying."

"Does she need to know more than that?" Galina asked.

"Is there more to it than that?" Gloria asked.

She had tried to keep her voice steady and her tone light, but her heart was pounding. She was thankful the room was blackened and Galina couldn't see the burning in her cheeks. It was an awkward question, but one she felt she deserved an answer to. They were lying in bed together, in a hotel, and planning future nights just like this and the years ahead with their children. That was more than just roommates. That was more than just friends.

"You know there is," Galina said quietly.

Gloria smiled in the dark and without restriction, reached out again to take her hand. "I'm just glad it's mutual," she said, and she moved closer in the bed to be against her. Their legs wrapped around one another and they were even sharing a pillow.

"Do you think anyone else has noticed?" she asked quietly.

"The boys? Not a chance," Galina scoffed. "And I think Nicky is still wrapped up in her own stuff."

"You need to talk with her more when we get back," Gloria reminded her.

"I know," Galina replied. She bit down on her lower lip and then added. "Maybe I can understand her a little more now."

"Are you going to open with that?" Gloria teased, and taking a chance she brought her lips to kiss the corner of Galina's mouth. That was all the prompting they both needed, to share a true kiss of mutual giving. It was enough for both of them, at least for now. They had all the time in the world to figure out the rest.

**Thank you for the reviews and being patient with this update. **


	15. Chapter 15

**Thank you very much for the reviews. I'm happy people are enjoying this story as much as I am. galinareznikovlove I've included some of your ideas and they'll be explored more in the next chapter, so thank you. **

"Have another bite of turkey, honey," Galina coaxed. Julio barely registered that she was speaking. His eyes were glued to the television, watching as The Grinch and his dog Max rode about Whoville on a Santa sleigh. Most of his plate had been untouched so far.

"This is why we don't eat in front of the TV," she sighed dramatically, and let her head fall back against Gloria's knees. She was sitting on the floor, since her willingness to bend the rules would not go so far as to allow a toddler to eat on the sofa. Her and Julio's plates were set on the coffee table in front of them. Gloria had taken the couch, and Red had deliberately positioned herself to be seated directly in front of her.

"It's just the three of us," Gloria shrugged, "we can heat his plate up later." She bounced her knee, tickling Galina's back as she leaned against her.

It was Christmas Day, and a strange one at that. Galina was used to her four kids, the friends who usually dropped in, and a husband keeping the armchair in the living room warm. Things were always noisy, entertaining, and she was always up extra early to start the turkey and rarely stopped. This year, there wasn't enough work to keep herself relentlessly busy, and she'd enjoyed an afternoon nap with Gloria and Julio, and then they had all gone outside for a winter wonderland walk in the fresh air.

Julio's eyes were as wide as saucers and the smile hadn't left his face for a minute since he'd woken up. Every part of his Christmas Day so far had been magical. Though he missed the older kids, who were spending the holiday with their Dad, he had been enjoying having both Galina and his mom's full attention entirely on himself. He opened his new presents from Santa Clause and had spent most of the day playing.

"Why did the Grinch not like Christmas, Mommy?" Julio asked, turning around.

Gloria, who was struggling to balance her plate on her belly while taking a drink of water, took a minute to answer. "He didn't dislike Christmas," Gloria said, setting her glass on the coaster next to the lamp. "He didn't like people. Which was perfectly understandable, in my opinion."

"Why?" Galina asked, she playfully wrapped her arms around Gloria's legs and entwined her fingers together. "_You _don't like other people?"

Gloria reached her hand out and stroked it through Galina's hair. "Some people I like a lot," she replied, and smiled as she felt Galina's arms tighten around her.

The weeks since their trip to the city had been like something neither had experienced before in her life. Though it had been happening steadily since they first met, once it was acknowledged, they both fully embraced the feelings of falling in love. They came up with any excuses to touch one another, subtle at first and then gradually growing more comfortable testing the waters, even in front of their children.

"Can I go play with my firetruck now?" Julio pleaded. It was his favourite new toy by far, though he'd certainly been spoiled that particular year. Gloria had wanted to do everything to make this Christmas extra special, so that he wouldn't miss Arturo. She needn't have feared. Though she suspected Julio was old enough to wonder about why his Stepfather had completely disappeared from their lives, he was distracted by all the new people and never asked anymore.

Gloria had managed to make her departure from their New York hotel completely seamless. She never cast eyes on Arturo again and she had no reason to believe that he had any suspicion that she had been there. The first thing she had done once they returned home was phone Lourdes like she had promised she would. She refrained from telling her about the close run-in she'd had, but had confessed about her pregnancy.

Lourdes had been upset when Gloria had told her they weren't coming for Christmas. Especially once she learned that another baby boy was on the way. She didn't understand why her niece had been reluctant to tell her in the first place, even while harping on about her doubts that Gloria could effectively care for two small children without her help.

"Can you eat some more turkey for me first?" Galina answered Julio's question, with another question.

"I don't want turkey," Julio shook his head.

"How about you finish your mashed potatoes first?" she suggested. "And then you can go play."

Julio sighed like it was such an unreasonable request. "Can I have more gravy?" he stalled.

Galina nodded. Reluctantly untangling her arms from around Gloria's legs, she leaned forward and poured him a small amount of gravy from the gravy boat set on the table in front of her. Julio obediently began eating his mashed potatoes. He finished them as quickly as he could and then permitted Galina to wipe his face with a napkin, before he scurried off to play.

"That little rascal," Gloria chided good naturedly. She reached out her hand and tugged Galina's arm, coaxing her to sit up on the couch beside her, which she immediately did.

"I should start the dishes," she said wistfully, staring at the dirty plates on her coffee table, knowing that there were several pots also waiting in the kitchen.

"You wash, I'll dry," Gloria offered. Though she was feeling so stuffed and sleepy, she could barely stand to move off of this couch. Since Yuri, Maxim, Nicky, and Vasily were with their father, Galina had done an elaborate dinner of roasted duck _and _roasted chicken, the night before. Christmas Day was supposed to be simple, but they'd still had a turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Galina couldn't help herself, and though Gloria had no clue what she planned to do with all the inevitable leftovers, she supposed they wouldn't have to cook for at least a few days now.

"You don't have to help, you can rest if you want," Galina coaxed Gloria. She rested her hand down on her shoulder and stroked her hand over her baby bump. Gloria's belly was hard and smooth between the grey sweatshirt she was wearing.

Gloria shook her head. "I like following you around," she insisted, "any excuse to be near."

"You don't need an excuse for that," Galina reminded her. She delighted when Gloria reached for the hand she was running across her belly, and squeezed it.

"Mommy! Mama!" Julio shouted, running back to the room with his arm full of some of his new Christmas presents.

Neither woman pulled her hand away. Gloria squeezed Galina's hand a little tighter while she turned her head towards her son. This wasn't the first time Julio had called Mommy first, and then Mama. She strongly suspected both names didn't refer to her, and she didn't have a problem with it. She loved how close Galina had become with her son, the way she cared for him like her own., and the two had definitely bonded.

"What is it?" Gloria asked. Galina kept her head leaned against Gloria's shoulder and smiled.

"Can I put my toys in my new room?" he asked excitedly.

"Of course, you can," Galina told him, exchanging a look with Gloria. She straightened up and reluctantly pulled her hand away. "Do you need help?"

"Yes," Julio nodded. "I need you to carry my firetruck. It's too big."

She followed him, helping him gather up all the toys he had gotten from Santa Claus that had spread through the house since that morning. She followed him down the hall into the bright little bedroom that, until today, had been locked.

The walls were painted a light blue and white curtains were still pulled back, granting them a view of the stars. The white crib that Galina had used for all four of her children was against one wall. Sheets were already on the mattress and a mobile hung overtop. The only thing missing was the baby himself. Against the other wall was a twin bed for Julio, with a grey and blue plaid comforter and a white toy chest at its foot. Galina walked over to it and lifted its lid so that she could drop the new toys inside. It was already partially full with toys he already owned, or old ones that her kids had passed down.

She stood up and smiled proudly as she looked around the pretty space. There was a rocking chair in the corner and a bookshelf. A changing pad was on top of the double dresser, beside a wicker basket where they could keep diapers and wipes on hand for the baby.

"Do you like your room?" she asked Julio, watching him put his toys carefully away and then leap up onto his new bed.

"Uh huh," he nodded. He pointed an accusatory finger at her. "You tricked me."

"That's why I didn't want you to come play in here," Galina teased, moving over to the rocking chair and sitting down. She used her feet to glide back and forth. "It was a surprise. You'll get to share this room with your baby brother once he arrives."

For a moment, Julio looked a little worried. "But I can still go sleep with my mommy, right?"

"Of course, you can," Galina nodded. "Nicky and Vasily are much bigger than you, and they still like to sleep in my bed more than their own."

She missed them when they were away and put off going to bed until she was beyond exhausted because sleeping alone in her big bed caused unprecedented loneliness. Although, she had had a pleasant Christmas, it hurt to think about her children hanging out with Dmitri and his new girlfriend, where the only change in their family this holiday was that someone had taken her place. Galina had sort of expected the kids to refuse to be around the other woman, or to leave her on Christmas Day. She'd thought they would show her more loyalty, but she hadn't heard from any of them since Dmitri had collected them the previous night. She had to assume they were having a nice time.

"It's like an elevator!" Julio exclaimed, pulling Galina out of her own thoughts. He had scampered over to the closet for inspection. She smiled at the sight of him inside the closet, opening and shutting the sliding door in front of him.

"You're such a lucky little boy!" Gloria walked into the bedroom and glanced around it. She had already seen it that morning, when Galina had uncovered it to them both as a duo Christmas Present. Gloria could probably have stayed in there forever, taking it all in. The detail and love that had been put into it, made her want to cry. Galina had gotten her children secretly involved in the project. Yuri and Nicky had painted the walls, while Maxim and Vasily had helped put the furniture together, which had all been used by them before. Vasily had been pleased to trade his twin bed for the double that had been in here when it served as a guest room. And the rocking chair Galina was currently sitting in, was the same one she had rocked all her babies in.

"Have my seat, Gloria," she offered, abruptly making to stand.

"No, no," Gloria shook her head in the doorway. With a hand resting on her belly, she walked into the room and sank down onto the bed. Perched on the edge of the rocking chair, Galina immediately stood up and walked over to sit next to Gloria on the bed. She felt a thrill stir within her when she felt Gloria's hand wrap around her waist.

"Mommy, did you see the toy box?" Julio asked, poking his head out of the closet.

"Is it this one?" Gloria asked, tapping the rounded lid of the cedar chest at the foot of his bed.

"Uh huh," Julio nodded, scurrying over to open in. "I put all my toys in here."

"This room is so beautiful, love," Gloria turned to Galina. "I can't believe you managed to keep this a secret."

"Well, it helps that the door was always locked," Galina shrugged. "But I changed the door handles last night after you both went to bed, so we don't have to worry about Julio accidentally locking himself inside."

Gloria watched Julio succeed at pulling his favourite new fire truck from the box and begin to push it across the floor, with his back to them. He was occupied, so she turned her attention back to the woman beside her. "So, you really want us to stay then?" she asked.

Galina's brow creased in confusion. She thought her gesture of preparing a bedroom for Gloria's sons said it all. "I want you to stay forever," she said softly. "I want to help you and get to watch these two babies grow up."

"Just making sure," Gloria shrugged awkwardly. "Sometimes it's still hard for me to accept because I never, under any circumstances, expected this to happen. How I even found you, it feels like fate."

"Mhmm," Galina murmured her agreement. Still enjoying the pressure of Gloria's arm wrapped around her waist, she leaned forward and brushed her lips ever so softly. Kissing her was intoxicating. Galina could kiss Gloria all day and not grow bored. She loved the feeling of her soft supple lips against her own, and didn't get to do it nearly as much as she'd like to. They almost never got to be alone. Even now, she pulled back rather quickly, though she really didn't want to. She just didn't want Julio to see.

Of course, the toddler had chosen that exact moment to turn around. Galina could still feel the warmth from Gloria's breath against her cheek, when she opened her eyes to see Julio standing there with his mouth agape. That was enough for her to pull back the entire way. Her cheeks were as red as her hair, and though Gloria simply looked bemused by her surprising act of affection, Galina still worried she had done something wrong.

Gloria playfully winked at her son who broke out into a small shriek of glee. "Do it again!" he requested. Gloria didn't hesitate at all. She squeezed Galina tighter with her one arm, and used her other hand to caress her cheek before she gently kissed her lips. Julio clapped his hands together in excitement. Hardly the reaction Galina had anticipated, and one she knew she couldn't expect from her own children. Encouraged, nonetheless, she returned Gloria's kiss with fervour and they were both giggling when they broke apart.

"Do you love my mommy?" Julio asked, abandoning his firetruck and throwing himself up into Galina's arms. She hugged him to her and kissed the top of his head.

"Yes, I do," Galina said confidently. "And I love you too. Is that okay?"

"Yes," Julio replied. He pulled back from her and kissed her lips like he'd just seen them do. Then he leaned out of her arms so that he could reach Gloria's mouth as well.

"Mommy is so happy here," Gloria told him brightly. "And we're going to stay here and all be a family."

"And baby brother too?" Julio asked, leaning back into Galina's arms.

"Yes," Galina replied, rocking him, as she leaned back against Gloria. Cuddling on his bed together, felt like the most natural of things. She felt so happy, even while reminding herself that she would need to say _something _to her own children very soon. Especially Nicky, who was so perceptive and whom she hadn't spoken to near as much as she should.

They'd still never brought up the letter between them and Galina had been allowing Nicky to come and go with her friends the same as always, without overthinking what may or may not happen. She'd been putting it off for too long though. She knew Gloria had spoken with Nicky, but she knew her daughter needed to hear her affirmation all on her own. Nicky needed her mother's honesty too. Acknowledging that they were more alike than they could have ever imagined, might make it easier for Nicky to understand herself. Galina wished she had been as intuitive as her daughter was. To know that feelings like these had existed in her all along could have changed her entire course of life, but then none of them would be here now. She supposed everything had happened at the right time.

_Ding Dong_

The all jumped a little at the doorbell. Galina sighed, and reluctantly laid Julio onto the mattress beside his mom. The little boy had been so relaxed in her arms. If she could have stayed still for a few more minutes more, he may have fallen asleep.

"It's probably one of the kid's friends," she said, standing up. "Someone who forgot that they all abandoned me this Christmas and aren't home."

"It could be Daya," Gloria said, looking a little worried. "Her and Aleida are supposed to be spending the holidays with some family members, but who really knows with them?"

She smoothed back her son's hair and decided now would be as good a time as any to get him changed into his pajamas. Galina was already walking over to the door. The light on the porch was on and she could make out a shorter figure with curly brown hair standing there. Feeling slightly puzzled, she opened the door.

"Hello?"

"Merry Christmas," the woman smiled. "My name is Lourdes Mendoza. I understand my niece Gloria and her son are living here?"

"You're here to see Gloria?" Galina asked in surprise. Still standing in the doorway she gripped the handle a little tighter. "I thought you were in Florida?"

"I didn't want her to let her know I was coming," Lourdes explained with a dramatic eye roll. "I didn't want to give her the chance to make some lame excuse. Do you mind if I come inside? It's very cold out here."

Galina held the door open a little more and stepped back. She took in the appearance of Gloria's aunt. Lourdes was wearing a heavy forest green jacket that looked like it belonged to somebody else, it was so ill-fitting. Then Galina decided that it probably did. Lourdes lived in Florida. There was no reason to own a heavy-duty winter coat of her own down there and it was probably borrowed by somebody she knew. She had in her hands a small brown suitcase.

"How did you get here?" Galina asked, closing the door and staring out at the snowy driveway, which was vacant aside from her own car.

"Taxi," Lourdes said simply. She sat down on the bench by the door and began to work on removing her boots. "I didn't bother to keep them waiting-I could tell by the lights that you were home. I understand you rent rooms here? I can pay you upfront for the two nights I will be staying."

"That won't be necessary," Galina frowned, looking a bit affronted by this woman's pushiness at arriving on her doorstep and just expecting to be able to spend the night. As of now she was out of the business of renting rooms in the house entirely. One guest room now belonged to Julio and the expectant baby, and unless something changed in the future, Gloria still occupied the other.

"I don't have any available rooms, but you can share with Gloria," Galina told her. "Or I suppose I can offer you one of my children's, they're with their father for tonight."

"Whatever pleases you, dear," Lourdes replied, setting her snowy boots neatly side-by-side on the mat. "I don't want to be a bother."

They heard the padding of tiny footsteps racing down the hall as Julio appeared, dressed in a pair of Spiderman pajamas. "Who is it, Mama?"

"Look, it's your auntie," Galina told him, holding out her hand to coax him closer.

"Tia," Lourdes corrected her. "Why did he call you mama?"

"Lourdes!" Galina was saved from the awkward question as Gloria chose that moment to appear in the hall. Her arms were crossed above her belly and she looked utterly confused. "What on earth?"

"Surprised to see me?" Lourdes asked, getting to her feet. She held her arms out expectantly.

"Uh...yeah," Gloria answered, obediently coming into her aunt's arms for a hug. "You couldn't have called?"

"Would you have answered?" Lourdes asked.

"I always answer," Gloria pursed her lips.

"I never know with you. You always insist on being so mysterious," she turned her attention back to Galina. "You know she didn't even tell me she was with child until a week ago?"

"I wonder why she would do that," Galina said dryly. She was still holding Julio's hand, perhaps a little possessively. But sensing they were going to continue to congregate in the entrance of her house a little longer, she retreated back to sit at the bottom of the staircase.

"Tia, I told you why," Gloria sighed. "I was just scared. And I still have a few more months to go."

"Are you sure about that?" Lourdes asked skeptically, eyeing her thickening middle. "You look like you might be getting ready to go at anytime."

"I'm gonna blame her cooking," Gloria said, pointing her hand over her shoulder at Galina, who opened her mouth in mock aghast. "Because last pregnancy you complained I was too tiny."

"Well, Julio was a tiny baby," Lourdes reminded her. "What do they say this one is?"

"Big," Gloria said simply. "But strong and healthy." She turned over to look at Julio, who was still holding Galina's hand and standing beside her on the stairs. "Can you come give a hug to Tia?" Julio shook his head and moved even closer to Galina.

"Don't make him do that, Gloria," Lourdes chided, as she started to unbutton her jacket. "I must be like a stranger to him. You know, it wouldn't be like that if you came back with me. Or at least visited more. I must say, I don't know how you can stand the winters up here. I forgot just how cold it gets."

"Why don't you go sit with Gloria in the living room?" Galina suggested. "We've got a fire built and it's very cozy. Are you hungry? I could heat you something up."

"That would be nice," Lourdes replied, flashing her the first hint of a smile.

Gloria took Julio and led her aunt into the living room, while Galina went into the kitchen to fix her up a plate. They'd never gotten to dessert yet. She pulled out a homemade apple pie from the fridge, made with apples from her very own orchard. They could have that with coffee, once Lourdes had some supper.

She was leaning against the countertop watching the microwave countdown, and trying to catch bits of the conversation going on in the living room. While she stood there, her fingers played with the gold heart-shaped pendant that had been her Christmas gift from Gloria. She had opened it last night once Julio had gone to bed to wait for Santa, and Dmitri had already swung by to collect the kids. She felt mildly annoyed, which seemed to override her curiosity at Gloria's aunt's impromptu arrival on the doorstep. She strongly suspected that Lourdes intended to persuade Gloria to come back with her when she left, and though Galina had no legitimate worries about that happening, she felt a prickle of resentment that their blossoming relationship already seemed to be under threat.

The phone began ringing right at the same time that the microwave started beeping. Galina grabbed the handheld from its cradle and answered, "Hello," into it while she simultaneously opened the door of the microwave.

"_Galina?"_

"Dmitri?" she frowned. She had not checked the caller display before answering. Opening the utensil drawer, she picked out a set of cutlery.

"_Yeah,"_ Dmitri confirmed. _"We're having quite the night here." _

"Did you call to gloat?" she asked him resentfully.

"_What? No!"_ he replied. _"And I didn't mean 'quite the night' in a good way." _

"What do you mean?" she asked impatiently. She set the cutlery on the side of the plate and then picked it up. Bumping the drawer closed with her hip, she carried it into the living room where Gloria and Lourdes were involved in an intense conversation, and only looked up when she was directly in front of them.

"Dmitri," she mouthed to Gloria, before walking back out into the kitchen to have the conversation in private. "What did Nicky do?" she said into the phone, only having caught the key end of what he was saying.

"_I said…" _Dmitri sighed in impatience at being asked to repeat because she hadn't been listening. _"She snuck out of the apartment after dinner to go hang out with Alex." _

"You should have let her invite Alex to supper," Galina reproached him. "That's what _I _would have done."

"_Would you have been as inviting if you knew she was bringing weed around and encouraging your daughter to smoke it?"_

"What do you mean?" Galina asked. She leaned back against the counter and crossed her legs at the ankle.

"_I caught Nicky down by the lake smoking pot with Alex,"_ Dmitri reiterated.

"Ohhhh," Galina murmured, feeling her stomach muscles clench with dread. She didn't like that one bit and all her children knew her strong opinion on drug usage. They lived in a small town where so many people spent half their time high or drunk. She had never wanted her children to be like that.

"_That's not all,"_ Dmitri said darkly.

"What else?" Galina asked worriedly.

"_They were...kissing,"_ he spat out the last word with squeamish disgust. _"They broke apart pretty fast when they saw me coming but I still saw it." _

"I thought she liked Lorna," Galina blurted out.

"_Excuse me?"_ Dmitri asked.

"Nothing," she replied quickly. "Huh," she let out a long breath. What a night they were having indeed. She felt calmer about it that she normally would. There was just something slightly triumphant at the beautiful and peaceful Christmas she, Gloria, and Julio had been celebrating, while Nicky wreaked havoc for her father.

"How are the boys?" she asked.

"_That' all you have to say?"_ Dmitri asked.

"What do you want me to say?" Galina replied. "I'll talk to Nicky when I see her."

"_No, you'll talk to her now,"_ Dmitri said. _"She can't stay here." _

"Where is she now?" Galina asked. She felt a prickle of resentment. Dmitri had been so adamant that he was entitled to his share of their children, but at the first signs of conflict, he expected her to come over and handle it. She didn't really mind, she wanted to be there for her daughter, but she also blamed Dmitri for taking her and the boys from her in the first place.

"_I sent her to her room,"_ Dmitri replied. _"I can punish her for the pot without you, but Alex? That's definitely a woman's issue and I don't know what to say. Do you think she's gay?" _

"I think you're right that she needs her mother," Galina said firmly. "Tell her that I'm coming and try not to say anything too stupid in the five minutes it takes for me to get there."

She hung up the phone angrily and dropped it back to the cradle. She stomped over to the door, throwing on her heavy coat, hat, and boots. She picked up her car keys and purse and it was only then that she remembered who was sitting in the living room waiting for her. She couldn't leave without saying where she was going.

"Everything okay?" Gloria asked worriedly. She was leaning back against the sofa with eyes wide in exasperation from whatever Lourdes had been saying to her, in between bites of food. The television was back on and Julio was watching cartoons, but he also turned to stare at Galina dressed to go out.

"Can I go with you?" he asked hopefully.

Galina shook her head. "Not this time, honey," she told him. Her eyes found Gloria's. "I just need to go pick up Nicky."

"Okay," Gloria said uncertainly, wanting to ask what had gone down but knowing she needed to wait.

"There's apple pie on the counter for dessert," she told them. "And there's coffee too, if you'd like some." She leaned over to kiss Julio's cheek in goodbye. "I shouldn't be too long."

"Are you going to kiss my mommy goodbye too?" Julio asked innocently. "Like before?"

**Thank you for reading. **


	16. Chapter 16

Lourdes stayed silent until they saw through the window, the headlights of Galina's car disappearing down the drive. Then she turned to her niece with a pointed stare. "She kissed you?"

"It's not really any of your business, but yeah," Gloria shrugged. "She kissed me and I kissed her back."

Julio nodded affirmatively as he picked up the television remote and carried it over to his mother. "They like kissing a lot," he shared.

"Thank you, baby" Gloria sound loudly, as she snatched the remote out of his hand. She pointed it at the television and switched it on. "What do you want to watch?"

"The Grinch," he replied.

"Again?" Gloria raised an eyebrow at him. When Julio nodded his head, she sighed. The show had been pre-recorded and saved on the television, but it wouldn't have mattered. It had been playing repeatedly the past several days, and he still hadn't grown tired of it. She turned it on for him and watched Julio settle himself on the floor with his back pressed up against the coffee table.

Then she turned back to her aunt. Lourdes was still staring at her with her lips pursed into a frown and a deep crease in her brow line. "What?" Gloria demanded, wincing at how bratty even she knew she sounded. She hadn't intended it that way but she couldn't help it. Her anxiety was rising and she felt it necessary to be in full on protective mode of the two babies she still had left.

"Watch the attitude," Lourdes scolded, but rather than apologize, Gloria lifted her chin in defiance. Her aunt clicked her tongue and surveyed her sadly.

"What are you doing?" Lourdes asked after several long minutes of neither saying anything. The only sound in the room was from the television, and Julio staring up at it, appearing to be oblivious to their conversation. Though it was hard to say. Children were often more attentive than adults gave them credit for.

"About what?" Gloria asked flatly.

"Lying, ignoring me, refusing to come home," Lourdes rhymed off, ticking Gloria's offences off on her fingers. "Shacking up with a woman when you haven't even gotten your last mistake to sign the divorce papers."

Gloria huffed and leaned back against the couch, wrapping her arms around her big belly. "I've never lied to you."

"You just told me you were having a baby last week," Lourdes said darkly. "Every single time we've spoken on the phone you were lying to me by omission."

Gloria felt her baby squirm in her belly and wrapped her arms ever more tightly around her bump. "Well, can you blame me for not wanting you to know?" she shot back. "Same situation as with the girls. I knew what you would say."

'Gloria…" Lourdes sighed. "You were fifteen."

"And?"

"And nothing," Lourdes pursed her lips back together. She stared at her niece with piercing eyes. "I think that says it all, doesn't it?"

"Not really," Gloria muttered.

"Why are you here, _Florescita_?" Lourdes pressed. "How did you even come to be here?"

"I came here just by chance," Gloria replied, scratching her fingernails against the fabric of her sweatshirt. "I stayed because I like it here. There are a lot of great people in this town, including Galina, and it's nice to have someone like her on my side. She'd never let me go through this alone."

"_I'm _on your side," Lourdes pressed. "Do you not get that by now? I came all this way to see you. To show you how much I want to help."

"It's not the same thing," Gloria said quietly. It never could be. Lourdes had pushed her into adopting out her twin daughters, just like Aleida wanted to do to Daya now. You couldn't trust someone entirely after a trauma like that. However well intentioned, all Gloria could think was the unideal circumstances she had conceived this baby under. Lourdes would only see the mess, but Galina had already rectified that.

"Of course, it's not the same thing" Lourdes snapped. "I'm not sticking my tongue down your throat and exposing your son to all sorts of confusing things."

"Yeah, he seems really traumatized," Gloria shot back. She turned back to her son. Julio was struggling to keep his eyes open and kept nodding off in his upright position on the floor. "Come here, baby," she called to him.

Julio automatically stood up and backed his way up to the sofa, never once looking away from the screen. Gloria hoisted him up on the couch beside her and covered him with a throw blanket that Lourdes handed to her. They said nothing. Both knew better than to proceed with this conversation with little ears listening in. Gloria stroked Julio's back, as he stuffed four fingers into his mouth and slurped loudly. The Grinch continued to play on the television, but before it was over, Julio's breathing grew heavy and his mom knew he was asleep.

"Gloria, you've put him through a lot," Lourdes said quietly, as she picked up the remote and turned the television off. "He's been witness to a very unhealthy relationship between you and Arturo, and as bad as he is, it would still be traumatic to be taken from your father and told you can't see him anymore."

"He wasn't really his father," Gloria said dully, cradling her boy. "Don't you remember? You were always quick to point that out."

"He was the only father he ever knew," Lourdes reiterated.

"And he doesn't ask about him anymore," Gloria replied. "In time, I don't even think he will remember him…"

"All the more reason to give him his family," Lourdes replied. "You can't just enter into another unstable relationship to distract yourself because you're scared to be alone."

"Julio doesn't know all the supposedly devoted family that you speak of," Gloria said impatiently, "And if he did, it wouldn't change the fact that he and I both have really found a place here. This is a family, and I have never lived anywhere as wholesome and cozy as this, in a town that is friendly and safe. He and the baby can have the childhood here I have always wanted to give them. What's there for us in Florida? A crowded apartment where we're in everyone else's way, while you micromanage every parenting decision I make."

"So, you're hiding out?" Lourdes asked.

"No," Gloria shook her head. "I'm at home here. With an incredible family."

"This isn't your family though," Lourdes stressed. "This isn't your home. You two might be enjoying playing house together right now but you barely know her, and she could kick you out at any time."

"She's not going to do that," Gloria said softly, brushing Julio's hair off of his face to distract herself from her anxiety. Her heart was hurting, it was painful to breathe. This was exactly the sort of stress Dr. Burset wanted her to avoid, but it was inescapable. Her confidence was waning. How she could go from feeling so loved and reassured, to questioning everything, even Galina's love and motives.

They'd had remarkably good timing. That she should be exactly here right when Galina's marriage was ending and she was clearly terrified of being alone. Their connection was true. That spark had been there from the first meeting, before it was ever acknowledged. Gloria knew this. She believed this. But everything was moving so fast. She had just left Arturo, and now pregnant with his baby she was letting another person make a house for her, without standing on her own two feet for a single second. Was this all based on necessity? Would the feelings go away once the storm of both their lives began to wane? Could she be setting herself and Julio up for additional heartbreak?

"How can you be sure?" Lourdes asked.

"Because she is in love with me," Gloria replied coldly. She lifted her chin and gave her aunt a pointed look. None of her doubts were displayed on her face. She wouldn't give Lourdes that satisfaction.

XXX

Galina was trying not to think about what was going on back at her house, but she couldn't help imagining different scenarios in her head as she drove through the snowy town that was completely devoid of people. Everyone was at home celebrating Christmas and she didn't meet a single car. Not until she pulled up in front of the tavern and realized she wouldn't be able to park in her usual spot. It was already taken by a grey car that Galina knew belonged to the woman currently upstairs celebrating the holiday with _her _children.

Galina felt a heat flush through her body as she backed into a different parking spot and switched the car off. All thoughts of Gloria and Lourdes were cleared from her mind as she stared at the business she ran, dark and closed up for Christmas, and then peered up at the rooms above. All the lights were on upstairs and the curtains were pulled open, offering her a glimpse of the festivities inside. She saw Maxim passing the window, a butter tart in his hand, and a smile on his face.

Galina didn't know what she expected him to look like. She just couldn't accept that she could be so easily forgotten. All through the year, but especially at Christmas, she had done everything to make sure her children had memories to cherish and experienced the full magic of the season. The food, the decorations, the gifts that she chose and wrapped with such care...she honestly didn't know how Dmitri could pull off something remotely close to what she gave them. She also couldn't believe that he'd even insisted on having them for the day, since he had followed her lead on Thanksgiving.

_There was always Nicky though_, Galina reminded herself with a wry smile. Nicky couldn't have been enjoying Christmas without her mama too much, or she wouldn't have snuck out to be with Alex. It was that factor, that kept her from being too upset at her daughter's rebellion. She had been the most vocal about her dislike for Dmitri's girlfriend, and the one least inclined to give the woman a fair chance.

This pleased her mother, who couldn't find it in her heart to accept it herself. She knew by now that Dmitri had been courting this woman for a long time, working up the nerve to officially leave his wife for her. Waiting for Galina to fuck up badly enough that he could play the victim and insist she had left him no choice. It shouldn't matter now, what's done is done, but it still hurt like hell to be walking up to her own place feeling like she didn't belong there anymore.

She refused to knock on the outside door to the apartment, but didn't feel comfortable just walking in either. She didn't know what she could expect if she did that. Dmitri and his new woman in an intimate moment? Them and her children having fun as a family in a way that would break her heart? She opted out of this risk by unlocking the door to the restaurant and walking through the dining room to the interior staircase the lead upstairs.

There were a few rooms they rented as singles, with a common bathroom at the end of the hall. On the other side of the floor was a whole apartment with two bedrooms and a large living room and kitchenette. They used to rent it out by the week during the tourist season and before they had earned the money to buy their house, they'd made it their first home in this town. Now it belonged to Dmitri. Galina hadn't been up here since before they separated.

The front door of the apartment was wide open so she didn't hesitate before stepping in. All three of her sons, as well as Joel Luschek, were crammed together on one couch, facing the television. They all had consoles in their hands and were engrossed in a video game. Galina stared at it for half a second but the light instantly hurt her eyes.

The coffee table was buried under different serving platters. Cakes, tarts, and cookies that had been picked through and eaten generously. Galina could see crumbs on all of the boys shirts and laps. Feeling even more dejected she turned to Dmitri, who was leaned forward with his back curved, enjoying a massage from his girlfriend who was seated in the armchair behind him. This didn't cease under her gaze. Dmitri lifted his head to regard her and his girlfriend slipped her hand under his shirt to rub over his bare back.

"Merry Christmas, Mrs. Reznikov," Joel was the first person to greet her. "Do I call you that still? Or are you going back to your maiden now-ow!" He rubbed at his arm where Yuri had poked him.

"I didn't know you were here," Galina told him.

"I came by after dinner," Joel replied. "I missed all the action though, or so I heard."

"Nicky kissing a girl?" Vasily grinned. "Bet that hurt, huh? We all know that you like her."

"I do not," Joel retorted, his cheeks reddening slightly from embarrassment.

"Vasily, hush!" Galina snapped. She was upset that they were laughing about what she was sure Nicky was already self-conscious enough.

"Sorry, Mama," Vasily grinned, jumping up from the couch to run over and wrap his arms around her waist. "Merry Christmas." His brothers followed, each taking a turn to embrace their mother.

"Merry Christmas," Galina replied, struggling to keep her voice even as she kissed all three of them. "Are you having a good time?"

"Pop and Tammy bought us an Xbox," Vasily told her excitedly. "And four different games!"

"But you already have a Nintendo," Galina said warily. "Why do you need two?"

"So, they have something here when they come stay with us," Dmitri answered. He struggled to get into a standing position from his crouched position on the ottoman. His girlfriend supported his back until he was up, and then leaned back in her own seat, crossing her legs and staring up at them both with a disapproving stare.

"We've been playing all evening," Joel explained. "Sort of a distraction from the awkward situation...I don't know. You want a butter tart? Shit…"

"Language," Tammy murmured.

He shrugged his shoulders helplessly at the stricken look on Galina's face, before walking back over to the couch and slouching down. Yuri, Maxim, and Vasily followed him. They unpaused the game, and the music from the system helped break the stifling silence of what Joel Luschek was correct in calling a very awkward situation.

"Thanks for coming," Dmitri muttered. "I sent Nicky to her room, but honestly I felt guilty about punishing her on Christmas…"

"You did the right thing," Tammy said supportively. She stood up and wrapped her arm possessively around Dmitri's waist. "Dmitri didn't tell me he had called you until you were already on your way, but you didn't really need to bother. She's fine."

"Well, clearly she and I have a lot to talk about," Galina said tightly, irritated at this woman intervening in a conversation she felt should belong strictly between Dmitri and herself.

"You want to talk to her now?" Tammy asked. She slid her hand over Dmitri's back and down his arm until she squeezed his hand. "I'll go tell her you're here-"

"That won't be necessary," Galina said sharply. "I'm pretty sure I know the way."

Tammy nodded curtly. "Would you like me to take your coat?" she asked, treating Galina like a guest in her home. This didn't go over well, as Galina turned on her heel and headed down the hall to Nicky's room without a word.

"I'd take that as a no," Joel smirked.

"Well…she could at least have taken off her boots," Tammy complained to Dmitri, pointing at a slush mark on the floor.

"Consider it a "fuck you" to me," Dmitri shrugged helplessly, dropping down into the armchair. "If I complain, she'll just bring up all the times I supposedly walked over her clean floors in my shoes."

"Well, that's irrelevant," Tammy frowned.

"Not to her," Dmitri replied.

XXX

"I could kill you!" Galina snapped, once she had closed the bedroom door behind her and glared down at her daughter.

"For which bit?" Nicky asked dully. She was lying on the bed with a pillow covering her face, as she had been for the better part of an hour, but she peered out from behind it to meet her mother's eye.

"Where do you want to start?" Galina asked, walking over and plopping herself down at the foot of the bed.

"I'm not sure which you consider to be worse," Nicky shook her head. "The kissing a girl part or the smoking dope?"

"Actually, more than anything, I'm mad that your shenanigans forced me to come over and stare at those two," Galina replied.

"Who? Yuri and Max?" Nicky sniggered. "I think they're sort of hard to look at too."

"Nicky," Galina let her name draw out slowly as she laid down in the bed, pulling her boot clad feet up onto the covers. With a hand, she pulled the pillow Nicky had covering her head away, and kissed her daughter's forehead.

She couldn't stop there though. She kissed her forehead two more times. Then both her cheeks and even her lips. "Promise me you won't ever miss Christmas with me again."

"That bad, huh?" Nicky asked.

Galina nodded. "Hell" she said dramatically. It wasn't altogether true. She'd had several lovely moments with Gloria and Julio, but something about seeing her children made her feel deflated, weakened, and sad. It wasn't Christmas without them, and having to send them to her father on this day was harder on her than words could say.

"I thought we're all supposed to be better off now though," Nicky said sarcastically. "That's what everyone tells me…"

"Well, clearly we aren't," Galina replied, tucking a strand of Nicky's hair behind her ear for her. "You never did drugs before today."

"Ma, it barely even did anything," Nicky said, scooting closer to her in bed and resting her head against her breast. Now that she knew her mother really wasn't _that _angry with her, she wanted to be near. Nicky had known she wouldn't be pleased about the drugs, but what had her lying in bed feeling nervous all this time was wondering how her mother was going to take the news that she and Alex had been kissing. Despite what Gloria had said, Galina still hadn't approached Nicky about the letter or even brought up the subject.

"If it didn't do anything than what's the point?" Galina asked.

"Rebellion?" Nicky suggested with a smirk. "Maybe I just missed you and knew you'd come over to yell at me if you found out what I did."

"Oh really?" Galina murmured.

"It's really not a big deal," Nicky said.

"It is to me," Galina tapped her on the noise.

"Yeah, yeah," Nicky sighed.

"What did Papa say when he saw you and Alex?" Galina asked.

"Not a whole lot," Nicky replied. "Tammy told Alex she would drive her home and Pop told me to stay in this room and wait for you...isn't that his go-to?"

"Well, he's going to have to get a new line, if he thinks he has a right to take my babies half the time," Galina replied.

"You know, it's not really much different than when I'd sleepover at a friend's house," Nicky reminded her.

"Yes, it is," Galina said.

"How?" asked Nicky.

"Well, for starters," Galina sighed. "When you go to a friend's your visiting. You're not sharing a home half the time with people who want to take my place."

"You mean Tammy?" Nicky asked. "Don't worry about her because I hate her."

"Nicky," Galina chastised, though she couldn't resist smiling.

"You want me to tell the boys to give her some more hate too?" Nicky offered. "She's trying to buy their love with an X-box."

"Oh, I saw," Galina said darkly. "They barely even wanted to look up from it when I came in. So good on her for that idea, I suppose. Your father has always been too cheap to come up with a gift like that on his own."

"I think we're all just trying to make the best of it," Nicky reminded her. "We can't stop you guys from getting a divorce and Pop clearly has no intention of making her go away."

"You wish we weren't getting divorced?" Galina asked.

"Obviously," Nicky said flatly. "I mean. It's pretty clear that you guys always had problems. You kept out of one another's way, I hardly ever remember seeing you kissing, and Pop almost never came home."

"So, it's not much different then," Galina suggested.

"No, it's very different," Nicky insisted. "Because back then your issues were sort of, your problem? Now it's all on me. I hated Christmas this year because I knew you were sad. And next year, Pop is going to be sad because I guess we'll be with you. And I'm always going to be sad because I have a constant guilt because whatever I do, I'm hurting somebody. And everyone says it's good you and Pop broke up, because nobody should stay in a bad marriage just for their kids. And it should make me happy to see my Dad suddenly so happy...and he is, Ma. He seems really happy."

"Does it make you a little happy to see Papa with someone he clearly likes more than he ever liked me?" Galina asked.

"No, it creeps me out," Nicky exclaimed. "Tammy's always touching him. Rubbing his arms, his legs, kissing him in front of us…"

"Yes, I had the misfortune just now of walking in on the middle of a backrub," Galina cut in. She shuddered in disgust. "How your brothers could continue stuffing their mouths full of sweets at that sight...you know your father's back is like a yeti, right?"

"Don't remind me," Nicky rolled her eyes. "When he takes off his shirt in the summer at the beach it looks like he still has a sweater on."

This produced a round of laughter from both of them, which halted when there was a curt knock at the door and then Dmitri opened it up a crack. "Everything okay?" he asked them. Galina sat up in the bed, and reached over to stroke her daughter's cheek when she did the same.

"I'll be better when you give me my phone back," Nicky told him

"You took her phone?" Galina asked.

"Yes," Dmitri nodded, stepping more deeply into the room and closing the door behind him. "What sort of time-out is it if I let her have her phone in here to amuse herself with?"

"Do you hear me criticizing you for that?" Galina demanded.

"I bet you'd like to, huh?" Dmitri asked. "All she ever does is lie on her bed and play with her phone since you gave her the damn thing."

They stared at one another, glaring. Nicky's eyes darted back and forth between them. "So ...can I have it, then?" she asked daringly.

"No!" they both answered together.

"Ma-" Nicky looked at her helplessly.

"Sorry, honey," Galina said, holding her hand out to Dmitri for the phone. "But I'm going to hang on to this for the next few days." Once assured she was not going to immediately pass it to Nicky, Dmitri handed her the phone to place in her purse.

"What if there's an emergency?" Nicky asked, her eyes narrowing. "You said you wanted me to have this on me all the time for that reason."

"Yeah, but that's not going to be a problem because you aren't going to be leaving my side for the next few days," Galina replied, her eyes raised her eyes at her warningly.

"Mama," Nicky pouted, "you were just loving me a minute ago."

"I always love you," Galina replied, patting her purse knowingly. "But that doesn't mean you get to sneak out of either of our houses to smoke pot."

XXX

It was hard leaving the apartment. Galina didn't ask any of her sons if they would like to come home with her, but they didn't ask either. This hurt tremendously. Her boys were perfectly content where they were, playing video games and eating sweets that weren't prepared by her. They kissed her when she was leaving, but their goodbye was rushed and nobody was as sad as her. They seemed to accept what was.

At least she had Nicky. The part of her that wasn't concerned about the acting out was secretly pleased that having an excuse to ground her daughter meant they'd be getting more time together. Though she was mad about her phone, Nicky did not object when Galina wrapped her arm around her. She rested her head against the wool of her mother's coat and leaned into her as they walked out to the car together.

"So, does she do that a lot?" Galina asked, once they had pulled out of the parking lot and were on the main road. She was driving slowly. The snow had started to fall when she was at Dmitri's and already the pavement felt very slick.

"Who?" Nicky asked.

"Alex," she answered.

"Not really," Nicky shrugged, she turned her head to the side to watch her mother as she drove. "But you know, Ma, it's not exactly uncommon for kids to try things like that."

"Not my kids," Galina said sharply.

"How can you be sure?" Nicky asked.

"Because I watch you guys," Galina said firmly. "I always know who you are and what you're doing. Admit it, Nicky, this never would have happened if you had been at home with me tonight."

"You want me to say you're a better parent than Pop?" Nicky asked. She shrugged. "Alright, you are. But it's really not a big deal. I swear. I won't do it again."

"I hope not," Galina said softly, gripping the steering wheel tightly with her hands. She watched carefully out of the corner of her eye. "Should I be worried about Alex though?" she asked. "Is this something her mom should know about?"

"Where do you think Alex got the weed?" Nicky snorted.

"Her mom gave it to her?" Galina's eyes narrowed. Though she didn't know Alex's mother well, she'd always respected her. A single mom who worked all hours and did everything she could to provide for her daughter. She wasn't around much to supervise Alex, which was why Galina was happy to help her out whenever she could, but Diane was always devoted to giving her daughter as good of a life as she could. Aleida could have taken note from her.

"Of course not," Nicky shook her head. "But some boyfriend left it in their house when he stayed over last weekend. Miss. Vause never noticed it was gone."

"I'm going to have a word with her," Galina said.

"Don't do that," Nicky pleaded.

Galina glanced quickly into her daughter's brown, hopeful, and anxious eyes. "Well, then I'm going to have a word with Alex next time she comes over," she replied, turning back to the road.

"If she even wants to come over again after tonight," Nicky said quietly, almost to herself.

"What do you mean?" Galina asked gently.

"Ma…." Nicky sighed.

"You can talk to me, Nicky," Galina reminded her. "About anything."

Nicky shrugged her shoulders and dropped her head, staring down into her lap. She squeezed her hands together tightly.

"I'm your mother," Galina added.

"What don't you know?" Nicky muttered. "I heard Pop on the phone with you, I know you read my private letter and then acted like you never saw it."

"Because I didn't know what to say," Galina replied.

"You shouldn't have read it," Nicky said darkly.

"I'm sorry," Galina said sincerely, her eyes on the road ahead of her. "Perhaps I shouldn't have...I came across it by accident, you know? But it was at a time that you weren't really speaking to me and I just wanted some insight into what you were feeling. I was worried about you."

Nicky didn't answer her. She squeezed her hands more tightly together and continued to stare down at her lap. Galina made the turn to go down their road. The gravel was buried under a bed of snow and she stopped the car on the edge for just a brief moment. She couldn't resist. Once the car was put into park she leaned over and pulled Nicky into a tight embrace.

Nicky did not hug her back. She buried her face into her mother's neck but her hands remained closed together, squeezed between them. "You're my good girl," Galina whispered, kissing her crown and rubbing circles against her back. "I know you're not happy that I know, but _I _am. I'm just so proud that you're my daughter."

"You don't care?" Nicky whispered.

"Of course not," Galina soothed. She kissed her once more and then reluctantly pulled away. Readjusting her seatbelt, she turned the car back into drive and they began their crawl forward. The snow was thickening and she didn't want them to get stuck out here.

"I was only surprised when Papa told me you were with Alex, not Lorna," Galina told her. "But I wasn't upset that you were with her. I think it's wonderful that you can find someone you like that way, and I'm just so proud of you for knowing who you are."

"Lorna doesn't like me that way," Nicky murmured.

"Her loss," Galina smiled sadly.

"I don't even know if Alex does, or if I like her as more than a friend…" Nicky trailed on. "We both just kind of wanted to try it? I've never kissed anyone like that before. Boy or Girl.

"You can ask her," Galina said thoughtfully. "Either way, it doesn't have to change your friendship."

"I guess," Nicky shrugged.

"It's confusing, isn't it?" Galina smiled. She slid her hand down to grasp her daughter's. "I'm learning that too."

"About Pop and Tammy?" Nicky asked, leaning her head against her mother's shoulder.

"No," Galina shook her head. "I try not to think about them as much as possible."

"Then who?" asked Nicky.

"Gloria," Galina answered softly. She felt a lump in her throat as soon as she spoke her name, and gulped it back.

"You like Gloria?" Nicky asked quietly.

Galina nodded her head. "Not just like, I love her," she admitted.

"Oh," Nicky said quietly. Her mother had expected more of a response than that, but Nicky didn't seem interested in giving one.

"Are you upset?" Galina asked her concernedly.

Nicky shook her head against her shoulder. "Not really," she murmured.

"But?" Galina pressed.

"I guess you and Pop really aren't going to get back together then, huh?" Nicky asked.

Galina shook her head. "No, honey."

Nicky bit her lip and considered this revelation. It really shouldn't have come as much of a surprise, but it was still a bit of a shock. Her mother had never treated a house guest with as much consideration as she did Gloria and Julio. And now it was becoming a permanent arrangement. They had worked on the room for Julio and the baby as a family project, but it was still weird to have her mother say it aloud.

"Nothing is going to change," Galina said quickly. "I'm not going to do anything that makes you, or your brothers, uncomfortable. I just want you to know how I feel, because I always want you to feel safe telling me how you feel. Okay?"

Nicky nodded her head against her shoulder. The car slid a bit in front of their driveway, when Galina braked the car to turn in. This was a little scary but she recovered, and then they made the slow trek up the long driveway. The lights were on downstairs and on the porch for them. It was only then that Galina remembered what she had left.

"Oh, I forgot," she told Nicky, once they parked the car. "Gloria's aunt is visiting for a few days from Florida. Make sure you say hello to her on your way up to bed."

"Ma, I'm not going to bed yet," Nicky unfastened her seatbelt. "It's only nine thirty.

"Consider it part of your punishment," her mother said indifferently, as she too unfastened her own seatbelt. "Early bedtime for the rest of the week and no going into town, unless you're with me."

"Come on," Nicky groaned, climbing out of the car and slamming her door shut. Galina compressed her lips in sympathy but her discipline was unyielding. Nicky knew there was no point in trying to change her mind.

"Her aunt seems like quite the character," Galina told her, as they began to trek through the snow up to the porch. "You'll see what I mean."

**Thanks for Reading. **


	17. Chapter 17

**Johanna-002 wrote this chapter. **

New Years Eve day, Galina woke up bright and early as she always did. As she passed through her house, she stopped and pulled open the heavy curtains at every window she passed. Light spilled in, its brightness and inherent whiteness almost painful to see, though beautiful. Outside was like a winter wonderland. The snow and ice that had accumulated on Christmas night had transitioned into a full-on blizzard, keeping everyone indoors and out of the frigid cold.

If they hadn't already been on break, the schools would have been closed. And though Dmitri lived above the Tavern and thus could have work, he'd conceded that there wasn't really much point when nobody would be inclined to venture out for a meal. Flights were delayed and then cancelled all together, which meant Lourdes had needed to postpone her departure. She'd been staying at the house with them ever since, getting to know all the people who lived there and generally getting on Gloria's nerves. Yuri, Maxim, and Vasily had needed to stay at their father's a few extra nights until the roads cleared, but had been happy to return home once they were able.

Walking into the kitchen, she smiled at the sight of Gloria, who was standing with her back to her at the kitchen counter. Realizing that they were alone, she seized her opportunity, making her way to Gloria and wrapping her arms around her from behind. The older kids were all still asleep and Julio could barely be heard playing and laughing with Lourdes in the other room.

"Good morning, Darling," she kissed Gloria's cheek. Her fingers were just barely were able to brush one another over her large bump, and she knew that it wouldn't be too long before she'd be lucky to get her arms around Gloria at all.

"Is it?" Gloria asked skeptically. Her lips were pursed and she was glaring out the window at the fresh bed of white snow. She hated the cold and now being heavily pregnant, she had no inclination to go outside in that sort of weather, but she wasn't happy in the house all the time either. She'd been feeling increasingly cabin fevered since Christmas, not helped by Lourdes' inescapable presence.

"Is it what?" Galina asked, kissing the crook of Gloria's neck.

"A good morning," Gloria replied. "You sound pretty sure about that."

"Ohh," Galina mocked her, purring gently in her ear. She turned her head to kiss the corner of Gloria's mouth. "Someone sounds really grumpy this morning."

Gloria exhaled a large breath, her belly expanding even more as she did so. "I'm sorry," she apologized. Gently unwrapping Galina's arms from around her, she gave her an apologetic kiss on the lips and then made her way over to cupboard where they kept the coffee. "I haven't been sleeping well. Sharing a bed with Lourdes is worse than sharing a bed with Julio."

"I told you to take Nicky's," Galina reminded her. "Or Vasily's...he has a queen bed in there that used to be in Julio's room, and he barely ever uses it."

"I don't want to," Gloria said stubbornly, opening the cupboard door. "Unless you want to hear Lourdes lecture about how the kids are too old to still be sleeping with you. I had the privilege of that conversation about Julio a couple of nights ago."

"So, you keep telling me," Galina told her. She followed Gloria with her eyes and had to bite back her smile as the sour expression on Gloria's face slowly morphed into a look of utter heartbreak. 

"Where is the coffee?" Gloria asked brokenly, turning to look at her. She looked as disappointed as a child who'd just been told they weren't going to get ice cream after dinner.

Galina popped her bottom lip out sympathetically. "I'm sorry, Love. We ran out yesterday and with all of the snow and ice on the road, I probably won't be able to get to the store for a few more days. We have orange juice, though. Juice is good for you."

"Juice?" Gloria echoed in disbelief. "What do I look like to you?"

"Like a pregnant penguin?" Galina suggested with a laugh. "You're really starting to waddle now."

"Galina," Gloria pouted, dramatically crossing her arms over her chest. "It's not funny," her large brown eyes instantly began to water. "Coffee is the only good thing I have to look forward to in my life."

"Oh, dear," Galina shook her head, unable to keep the amusement from her tone. "It's going to be one of those days is it?" she asked her.

Gloria brushed her thumb under her eye to wipe away the tears that were threatening to fall. "My body is not my own," she whimpered, rolling up the hem of her shirt to display her bare abdomen. "Look at this!" Her stomach was covered in stretch marks that were red, itchy and almost painful to the touch. "I don't think my body can possibly stretch anymore," she said, rubbing her hand over her stomach. "Everything hurts and I've still got eleven weeks left."

"Thirteen," Galina corrected her. She laughed softly in the back of her throat as Gloria glared at her. "I know it's hard," she told her, "But it will all be worth it when you hold that beautiful baby in your arms."

As cliché as she knew it was, it was the truth. She'd had incredibly difficult pregnancies with all four of her children, to the point that she'd had to wear a portable IV pump and swallow pills just to combat the sickness. She hadn't had even half the support from Dmitri that she'd offered to Gloria, but in the end, when she'd held her babies against her chest for the first time and when she'd nursed them in the night with the moon as their only companion, it had all been worth it.

Gloria knew the pain of her pregnancy was temporary, but it was very exhausting to grow and create life. She was incredibly sore, and every internal organ in her body felt as if it were being crushed. She hadn't been sleeping well lately and the weight of Lourdes' impromptu visit was starting to get to her. She loved her aunt, but having her around reminded her of why she chose to love her from a distance. What was only supposed to have been a two-day, three-day visit at most, had turned into a week long event of what felt like constant criticism and nagging. From the moment she woke up until the moment she went to bed, it felt as if Lourdes never ceased to stop talking. If it wasn't one thing it was another.

Why did Gloria cut her hair? Why did she have clothes on the floor, didn't she have a laundry basket? Why did Julio still put his hands in his mouth? Did he still sleep with her? Was she practicing Spanish with him? Did she plan to teach the new baby Spanish? Did she have a name picked out for the new baby? Was it biblical? Had she been going to church? Did Galina go to church? Was Gloria going to baptize the baby, and when was she planning to do that? She was friends with a nun? That's very nice, but did the nun know what she was getting up to in her personal life?

Majority of the time Gloria didn't know how to answer her, nor did she care to. She'd just stare at her blankly until she quit talking, which had only prompted Lourdes to ask her if her English wasn't clear before she proceeded to ask the same questions over again in Spanish.

"Oh! I didn't tell you," Galina said, excitedly squeezing Gloria's arm. "Guess who crawled into my bed last night?"

"Nicky?"

"Not this time," Galina shook her head. She walked around Gloria to open the fridge and pull out the ingredients that she would need for breakfast. "Julio."

"Oh," Gloria rolled her eyes. "How nice for you," she curled her lip. "He tried to come into my bed and then got mad because he felt squished between Lourdes and I."

"Yes," Galina nodded her head. "He and I had a whole conversation about it at 3:30 this morning."

"You still probably got more sleep than me," Gloria heaved an exasperated sigh and closed the cupboard door that she'd been holding open, willing coffee to magically appear. She turned around and bent down to take out the mixing bowls and frying pans they would need. "Lourdes snores loud enough to wake the dead."

"So do you," Galina laughed.

"No, I don't," Gloria protested.

"You sleep like a starfish bathing in the sun," Galina rolled her eyes. "Julio slept in a little ball against my chest, and he also talks in his sleep." She placed the carton of eggs on the countertop. "It's the sweetest thing."

"I love when he does that," Gloria cooed. "Sometimes he calls out my name like he's mad at me," she said, passing Galina a bowl.

"He does that when he's awake too," Galina shook her head. "I'll usually hear him boss his toys around and tell them no." She cracked an egg against the counter top and poured its contents into the bowl. He said something about his fire truck," she said as she reached for another egg. "Something about how no baby is allowed to touch it."

"Hmm," Gloria mused, concern etching in her face. "Might be a reaction to us talking about how he is going to share his new room with his little brother."

"And his mommy," Galina added. "I get the impression that is going to be hard on him, but I just keep reminding him that I have four and love them all the same."

"You spend the most time with Nicky though," Gloria teased.

"I don't think I treat her differently," Galina shrugged, she didn't look bothered. "She's just always been so attached to me, even now, when I have to punish her, she still always wants to be close. I tell you; I still don't think I've gotten over the guilt of forcing her to wean just before Vasily was born."

Gloria's eyes narrowed. "They're like three years apart," she said. "Wasn't she older than Julio when Vasily was born?"

"Yeah," Galina shrugged. "Vasily nursed for three years too."

"Seems excessive," Gloria replied.

"It wasn't exactly my preference," Galina admitted, continuing to break open the entire carton of eggs. "It's not fun having someone who can speak in whole sentences try to pull your shirt down in the middle of the grocery store."

"Then why did you let them do it for so long?" Gloria asked.

"The bonding, the cuddling," Galina smiled wistfully. "It's such a beautiful experience that you never really want it to end. Do you think you might want to breastfeed this baby?"

"I don't know…" Gloria replied. She grabbed the orange juice from the fridge and a cup from the cupboard before pouring herself a large glass. "Is it wrong to say no?"

"No. I don't think so," Galina said. "It's not an easy thing to do, and in the beginning it kind of sucks. Your nipples peel and crack and you get clogged milk ducts. Mine would bleed and I'd question why I did this to myself."

"Way to sell it," Gloria rolled her eyes, taking a large gulp of her juice.

"Once you get the hang of it, it really is a beautiful experience and it made me feel so connected to my kids."

"Would you think less of me if I decided not to?" Gloria asked her seriously. Living in the city she'd seen how bent out of shape moms would get over the topic of breastfeeding versus formula feeding, and to her it had always sounded like such a ridiculous debate.

When she was pregnant with her twins, she'd had bigger things to worry about then if she was going to breastfeed them, and in the end it didn't matter anyway. She had only gotten twenty-four hours with them before she'd had to say goodbye and it had been several days after their birth when her milk supply had come in. The experience in itself had been traumatizing, and she had always felt like it was her body's way of crying and grieving their loss. When Julio had been born, the only thing she could process was that this time she would actually get to leave the hospital with her baby.

Galina blinked at her in surprise. She had never fit in with the women she had tried to befriend while pregnant, and she knew how isolating that feeling was. In Russia, she had always seen women supporting one another through their pregnancy, and had been in for a complete culture shock at how the American culture seemed to find joy in making mothers feel alone in their journey.

"Of course not!" She exclaimed. "A fed baby is a happy baby as far as I'm concerned. My experience wasn't perfect and I didn't really get the hang of it until Nicky was born. Yuri maybe breastfeed for 3 months, Maxim, I want to say 6. I was working a lot and doing everything around here myself, so I supplemented all of them with formula when I needed to, and I never felt guilty about that. Nicky was the only one who gave me a hard time about taking a bottle, but I still made her do it."

"I never could get Julio to latch," Gloria shared. "I tried in the beginning but it just ended in tears, both his and mine. The fight never felt worth it and I was going through so much. His dad wasn't around much and I was in New York on my own. I was figuring out how to survive paycheck to paycheck and I had this new baby I had to take care of. I didn't know anything about being a mother, and I had to go back to work six weeks after he was born and trust him with my neighbor that I had only known for a few months. I just had bigger things to worry then breastfeeding."

"It's not easy," Galina sympathized. "I had to trust my mother-in-law and sister-in-law with my kids when we lived in the city and I had to work the night shift cleaning offices. Sure, they were family, but I'd seen how Dmitri turned out and it was petrifying." She pulled open a drawer and took out the whisk. "To be honest with you, I never really got the hang of nursing Yuri, I mostly gave him bottles and he nursed for comfort. I don't think my milk supply was very good, so I don't think he ever got anything out of it."

"Maybe I'll try with this one," Gloria said skeptically. "I don't know. I don't think I really feel one way or the other about it right now… except that I want him out and healthy."

"It won't be that much longer," Galina sympathized. "But the doctor has assured us that he's very healthy."

"And big," Gloria added, stroking her hands over her belly. "Probably going to have a big head like his father and put me through the wringer when it's time to push him out."

Galina used the whisk to scramble her bowl full of eggs up. Gloria had already heated up the frying pan so she poured some in. Scrambled eggs and toast were on the menu for the morning. And if they were lucky, they wouldn't run out of orange juice before everyone got a glass. She desperately needed to get to the grocery store, but with the roads being unsafe to drive on she had been postponing it.

"Arturo was good with Julio?" Galina asked casually. They spoke Gloria's ex so seldomly, that despite having been face to face with the man at the hotel, he still remained cloaked in mystery. Abusive, yet handsome, and there must have been something else Gloria had once upon a time seen in him, to allow him into her and Julio's lives.

"I know it sounds crazy, but in a weird way he was really the best," Gloria answered, frowning. "He was really good to me in the beginning too. It's what made everything so much more confusing for me. It's hard to explain it if you haven't been through it, but I just wanted a family so badly. I loved him. I really did, and I know he loved my son."

"But he didn't respect you," Galina reminded her unnecessarily. "He hurt you, and not just emotionally either."

"I don't want to say he's a monster," Gloria told her softly, protectively cradling her stomach. Despite being scared of him, Arturo was the father of her child, and to call him a monster, or the devil, made her feel as if she were calling her baby half evil. "He was a good dad, but he's sick. He didn't want to get help and I couldn't help him."

"I think you're being a little too generous," Galina told her as she added a little bit of milk into her eggs and pushed them around the pan with her spatula.

"I don't want to share my children with him, but I also don't know if keeping them from their father is the right thing to do either."

"He isn't Julio's father," Galina told her thickly. She couldn't deny the parentage of the baby inside Gloria's womb, but she didn't want to think about Arturo having any further connection with Julio. She loved and considered him and the baby as much her kids as Gloria's now, and didn't think she would ever forget how uncertain Julio had seemed, or how bruised and beaten Gloria was when she'd first met them. As far as she was concerned, Arturo having any sort of communication with _her _sons was off the table.

"He might as well be. He's all he's ever known," Gloria replied.

She could tell that Galina wasn't enjoying the direction their conversation had taken, but Lourdes' visit had brought with it valid concerns. It wasn't about what she or Galina wanted, it was about what was best for the kids. Arturo had demons he needed to handle, and there was no denying that, but were his issues enough to keep a child from knowing their father? Was it fair to deny him the right to know about his son? She had done many things in her life she wasn't proud of; did it mean that she was a bad person who _deserved _to have her children taken from her?

"Julio hasn't asked about him in a long time, you know that," Galina argued, "And the baby won't know he exists to begin with."

"But one day he will," Gloria told her, pulling out plates and silverware so she could set the table. "One day Julio is going ask about him, and why he isn't around. I'll also have to tell him about his biological father. The baby will ask about their dad, and what do I say? How do I explain it to either of them? What if they both grow up to hate me? What if they blame me?"

"I don't think that will happen," Galina said, trying to sound comforting. She had done everything right in her marriage and had tried for twenty years to make it work. Her children had seen first hand how unhealthy the relationship was. and when push came to shove, and she and Dmitri had finally decided to call it quits, she'd been the one who'd been on the receiving end of their anger.

"It might, Galina," Gloria said, sounding helpless. "It's something I have to think about. It's something we both have to think about. How would you have felt if you'd been kept from your parents?"

"My dad wasn't abusive," Galina replied.

Gloria shook her head. "It doesn't matter…"

"Yes, it does," Galina insisted.

"He's still their dad," Gloria whispered.

Galina felt a shiver run up her spine and her temper rising. "So... are you thinking about telling Arturo about the baby now?" she demanded sharply. "Are you seriously considering that? Maybe you think I don't get to have an opinion about this, but I do. The idea alone makes me feel sick. I'm not okay with him having visitation with them. What if something happens? What if the kids did something like spill a cup of juice, and he flew into a rage?"

"I don't think he would hurt them," Gloria replied. "He's always been so good to Julio and I know he'd be happy to have another baby. Arturo always wanted a big family. I think that's why he's so resistant to signing the divorce papers. He doesn't want to be alone."

"Or maybe it's just because he wants to control you," Galina replied bitterly. "I don't see why he's holding out after all these months of no contact. Aside from messing with you, there's really no benefit to him. Dmitri couldn't wait to file for divorce."

"We were nothing like you and Dmitri," Gloria reminded her unnecessarily. "Your marriage suffered a slow death, mine was wild and passionate until he started getting out of hand." It was still surreal to her that things ended the way they had.

"Out of hand?" Galina repeated, looking outraged. She flipped scrambled eggs out of the frying pan and on to the platter like she was mad at them. "He punched you in the face!"

"You sound like Lourdes," Gloria sighed.

"She's not wrong. He hurt you and used you like a human punching bag, and now you're standing here talking crazy about how you feel for him because he lost his kids." Galina shook her head in disgust. Closing her eyes, she willed herself to calm down and count to ten. She knew the only reason Gloria was able to talk about Arturo the way she did was because she loved him. She had no doubt that she still grieved for the family that could have been, and she didn't blame her. She, too, grieved for the fact that her family was broken. No woman in their right mind would ever want that.

Gloria scraped her hand though the top of her hair. She didn't want to enter into a conversation about the abuse she'd endured, especially not after she'd worked so hard to put it behind her. She wasn't trying to say that Arturo was a saint, or excuse what he had put her through. She knew she hadn't deserved it. She'd tried to be a good wife and had tried to get him help, but it was beyond her control. She couldn't save him and she knew that it wasn't safe for her or the kids to be with him.

"I'm not saying I want to tell him about the baby. I'm not even saying that I want to share custody with him. I don't," Gloria promised. "If he ever found out it would destroy me. I just am scared that my boys are going to grow up and _feel _like I did something wrong. I don't want them to hate me, or blame me."

Galina didn't say anything. She poured more eggs into the pan and then got the bread out so she could start making toast. Her mouth was stiffened into a compressed line and her eyes looked angry. Gloria moved closer and gently bumped her shoulder. 

"I do like how protective you are though," she said softly. "I know you love them, but I also know it would kill you just as much as it would kill me if they grow up and think we kept them from their dad. They're going to ask questions, Galina, so this is something we need to think about." She moved closer to Galina and rested her chin on her shoulder. "That's all I'm doing, okay? I'm just thinking out loud. Lourdes has a way of making me think about things I don't want to think about. Please don't be mad at me."

"I'm not mad, I'm just annoyed," Galina said, her good mood from when she woke up almost completely deflated. Shaking her head and trying to exhale out the negative energy that felt like it was consuming her, she asked, "What else has Lourdes been saying?"

"Nothing too horrible," Gloria said vaguely,

Galina glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. "But nothing too nice either?"

Gloria shrugged. "She just likes to talk. I know everything she says is because she cares but it's all just...a lot."

"What does she say about me?" Galina couldn't resist asking. Lourdes had been nothing but kind to her since she arrived, but Galina could tell that she was a little uncomfortable around her now that she knew the true nature of the relationship that she had with Gloria.

"Mostly her criticism is toward me and not you," Gloria replied. "Nothing new there. She says you have a beautiful home and that your kids are mostly well behaved. She's not too sure about Nicky sometimes."

"That's not surprising, nobody is sure about Nicky. What is it that she says about us?" Galina asked, trying to keep her tone light. She popped down four pieces of toast and placed them in the oven warmer. Then she put down another row.

"Honestly, she doesn't like it," Gloria admitted. She knew her aunt had strong beliefs about the way that things were supposed to be, but were it not for Julio outing them, Lourdes might not have even noticed things went anywhere beyond friendship between the two women. They were very discreet, and careful not to be overly affectionate in front of Galina's children, and since they continued to sleep separately, at least for now, it was pretty easy to overlook the serious relationship blooming between them.

"She hasn't come right out and said it, but I know it makes her uncomfortable. Which I respect. Not everyone has to agree. Her complaint is that she doesn't want us to confuse the kids, or move too fast, more than it is an actual protest against us together."

Galina sighed. "Fair enough," she nodded her head. After her talk with Nicky, she was even more self-aware of how her relationship with Gloria would affect her children, and she was working on how to find a balance to make everyone happy. She didn't want to disrespect her children and their need to process things in their own time, but she also didn't want to disrespect Gloria or Julio by promising them they were going to build a life together and then not deliver. Most importantly, she didn't want to give up something that she knew in her heart was the right thing, just because of the way everyone else felt around her. She'd never had something as wholesome and pure as what she'd found with Gloria, and she didn't want to lose it.

"So, what is she saying about you?" Galina asked curiously.

"She thinks I'm moving too fast with you, and she's not happy with the fact that I don't seem to have anything that's my own," Gloria replied, she looked considerate. "And I guess she's right. If things don't work out, I'm going to be back to square one. I won't have a place to live or a job-"

"Do you honestly think I would do that to you?" Galina interrupted her, looking shocked and a little bit hurt. "I wouldn't put you out on the street with two babies, Gloria. Come on! I let Aleida work there and I kind of hate her."

"That doesn't really make me feel better, honey," Gloria laughed. 

"Don't get me wrong, I get what you're saying," Galina said. "I would be scared too. But if you are going into this with the expectation that it's not going to work, I think it's setting us up for failure. I think I've proven in just about every way I can, that I am here to help you and that I want to."

"Of course, you have!" Gloria exclaimed, placing a hand over her heart. "I am so grateful to you, and I love you. You have very beautiful intentions, but this is scary and I _am_ scared that this will fail."

"So, what are you saying?" Galina asked. "What does that mean?"

"I think after the baby is here and we get into a routine, I should look for another job," Gloria said. "For my own peace of mind. I want to feel like I'm contributing to this house and to our relationship. Maybe I could find something at the bank, or even the post office?"

"Ms. Rosa runs the post office from her home," Galina reminded her. "How are you going to make that happen?"

"A couple of weeks ago she was looking to retire from doing it all together," Gloria said. "If she stops and no one picks it up, we're going to have to drive almost an hour out of our way to get our parcels."

"I don't really want a post office run out of our house," Galina said hesitantly. "Think of how many people would come through here everyday."

Gloria huffed a large breath of annoyance. "You ran a bed and breakfast," she challenged her. "You let strangers sleep in your home."

"Yeah…" Galina admitted reluctantly. She had a weak argument and she knew it.

"Do you not want me to get another job?" Gloria asked.

"I enjoy working with you, and everyone loves you at the Tavern. I don't see why that has to change just because your aunt said something about it," Galina protested. "I don't particularly like Dmitri and when I go to work, he's literally living on top of me."

Gloria rolled her eyes. "So, if we ever break up, we can all be this throuple of unhappy people working together, and coming and going from this house like some kind of dysfunctional Brady Bunch."

"If you run a post office from home, you'd still be stuck here you know? It's not like you'd still have a job if we broke up and you moved out. So, really, wouldn't you be in the same position you are in now?"

"You wouldn't be the one signing my paycheck," Gloria reminded her. "I'm not planning on leaving. I'm in this for the long haul, but I want to feel like I'm bringing in my own money."

"Are you sure you want to leave the Tavern?" Galina whined, plating the food on the table. "I had such a great time working with my kids underfoot and I want that for you. I want to give that to you. Think of how fun it would be to look over from a table and see the baby jumping in one of those door swings in my office."

Gloria smiled. "If I ran a post office from here the kids would still be underfoot," she told her. "Julio and the baby can keep me company while I work and we can visit you for lunch."

"Mhmm," Galina playfully sighed. It was obvious that she wasn't going to be able to talk Gloria into changing her mind. She understood her desire to feel like she was contributing to their household and standing on her own two feet, and she didn't blame her. If situations were reversed, she imagined that she would feel the same.

"If it's what you want…" Galina said finally, wiping her hands off on a dish towel, "then I'm sure we can figure something out," she conceded. 

Gloria excitedly leaned forward to kiss her lips. "I love you."

"Yea, yea…" Galina smirked, walking out into the hall so she could call everyone still lazing in bed to breakfast. "I love you, too."

XXX

"Ma, can go meet Luschek on the lake?" Yuri asked once breakfast was finished. "My phone says that the weather should be better today. See?" He flashed her his phone.

Galina sighed but didn't answer. She was tired of being cooped up in the house too, but she wasn't willing to go outside and risk everyone catching pneumonia.

"Why do you want to go out in that weather?" Gloria asked him, picking up his plate and waddling it over to the sink. "Vasily, honey, do you want some more juice?"

"Yes," Vasily told her, munching on the last bite of his toast.

"I want juice, Mommy," Julio said sweetly. "Please?"

Gloria came back around with the juice, pouring what was left of it into both boy's cups. She could feel Lourdes watching her curiously, but tried not to pay much attention to her. "Don't you have homework or something you could be doing?" she asked Maxim. "If you go out there, you're going to catch your death."

"It's not that bad, and we're on Christmas break," Yuri reminded her. Turning back to his mom, he looked at her with the huge, blue eyes that looked so much like her own. "So, can we?" he asked her again.

Nicky, who was standing at the sink and finishing the morning dishes, frowned. "No," she told her big brother. "If I can't go anywhere, then you and Maxim can't go anywhere either."

"Said who?" Yuri challenged her, his brow creasing in irritation. "You're not the boss of anyone!"

Galina, who was cleaning up Julio's dirty hands, rolled her eyes. She'd been listening to her kids bicker back and forth for the last couple of days, and was starting to grow very tired of it. There weren't too many places to escape to within the house, and the boredom of feeling trapped was starting to make everyone feel agitated.

"So what?" Nicky asked. "Mama said yesterday that no one could go outside."

"That was yesterday," Maxim told his sister definitely. "Mama, tell her that we can go to the lake."

"Just because you're grounded doesn't mean that we are grounded too," Yuri told his sister.

"Yea, we're not the ones who snuck out to get high," Maxim chimed in.

Nicky rolled her eyes, angrily washing the pan her mother had made their eggs in. "It's not like you two never did it, I was just the only one to get caught!"

At her daughter's words, Galina lifted her head to glare across the table at her sons. "You two have smoked?" she asked them. "When?"

"Ohh," Gloria sang unhelpfully, nudging Yuri with her shoulder. She never took on a disciplinarian role with Galina's children, choosing instead to be either devil's advocate or an instigator depending on her mood. "Maybe if the school gave you kids homework over winter break you wouldn't be out getting into trouble."

"Not me," Vasily said confidently, drinking the last of his orange juice. "I never do anything bad."

"Me either!" Julio said, sliding off of his chair. He ran around the table to where Lourdes was and climbed up on her lap. Initially he'd been very shy to meet her, but he was such a happy, talkative little guy that it hardly took any time at all for him to become very fond of her.

"Joel is who they do it with," Nicky told her mother. She met Yuri's eyes and smiled at him happily. They'd been teasing her endlessly the last couple of days, and she was tired of it. They'd been able to bring their game console home from their dads, and had been able to entertain themselves that way, but Galina showed no sign of giving Nicky her cell phone anytime soon.

"Luschek, really?" Galina asked in annoyance. She didn't even know if she was surprised. "That kid belongs in prison."

Gloria frowned at her. "You want to send the kid to prison for smoking pot? Seems a little excessive."

Shaking her head and hugging Julio tight to her, Lourdes chuckled softly. "This takes me back to the days when I'd have to break up fights between Gloria and her cousins." She kissed Julio's head sweetly and looked over her shoulder at Nicky. "You remind me a lot of Gloria when she was your age."

"Why?" Yuri asked bitterly as his mother took his cell phone from him. "Was she a snitch too?" He looked up to see Gloria glaring at him as well, and he crossed his arms over his chest in annoyance.

"Grounded," Galina said as she pointed between her three eldest children. "All of you. I can't believe this is the way we're really going to walk into the New Year. Are there any other secrets I should know about?"

"No," Maxim mumbled under his breath.

"Okay," Galina shook her head in irritation. "Go get the laundry from your rooms and start a load. I'll have to find some chores around here to keep you guys busy for the next week or so until you go back to school." She watched as all four of her children walked out of the room, Vasily telling them in a sing-song voice that he gets to play their game station as many times as he wants.

"I'm sorry about that," Galina apologized to Lourdes. It was one thing for her kids to act like they hadn't been raised with any sense, it was another to completely lose their minds in front of company.

"Don't worry about it, Galina," Lourdes waved her hand in dismissal. "I have four of my own including Gloria. I remember how hard it was to raise teenagers. I appreciate you opening your home to me, and to Gloria and Julio. I'm sorry I had to just show up on your doorstep in order to meet you, hopefully if the weather really does start to clears up, I can get out of your hair." Lourdes adjusted Julio on her lap, and squeezed his tiny hands lovingly between her own. "I'm sure Gloria's nerves aren't the only ones I've been getting on the last couple of days."

"Oh, no," Gloria told her aunt unconvincingly. "You've been a real delight."

Ignoring Gloria, Galina smiled at the older woman across the table. "I'm really happy to have gotten to meet you too. Hopefully you can rest easier knowing that Gloria and the babies are being taken care of. I'm sorry that you visit with us consisted of being trapped and listening to my kids argue back and forth. They're not usually so troublesome. Perhaps you could come by in the summertime? I'd love to meet the rest of the family and this town is much more beautiful around that time of year, and the baby will be here by then."

"Yes, I'm not a fan of this weather," Lourdes shivered. "But speaking of the baby, I've been thinking about names. I understand the two of you hadn't decided on one yet. Are you both open to suggestions?" 

Galina nodded her head. Her heart felt as if it were racing inside of her chest. To have Lourdes ask both of their opinions regarding her name suggestions, felt like such a subtle and bold way of acknowledging their relationship.

"I was thinking about the name Christian. After your grandfather, Gloria."

Gloria scrunched her nose. "I'm not a fan. I think the name is too popular, and besides, I never even met the man."

"We liked Joseph, or Isaac," Galina said.

"Maybe his name could be Joseph Isaac Mendoza?" Gloria suggested.

"I like Isaac, but what about the name Benjamin?" Lourdes asked. "That's a cute name."

"Benjamin," Galina tested the name on her tongue. She looked over at Gloria who had a similar expression on her face. "I like that," she told her.

"I think I do too," Gloria confessed. She rubbed her hands over her belly. "What about the name Benjamin?" she asked her stomach. "Do you like that? Are you a Benji or maybe a Benny?"

"A bunny?" Julio asked her in confusion. "I thought you said it was going to be a dinosaur baby?"

"I love Benny," Galina told her excitedly. "What would his middle name be?" she asked.

"Benjamin Isaac?" Lourdes suggested

"Benjamin Isaac," Gloria said as she poked at her stomach. "Hey," she poked her fingers in circular motion. "Wake up in there, you've been moving around non-stop. I need your opinion on this, kid. This is your name, not mine." The baby inside of her moved his foot excitedly along her stomach. Whether he was agreeing with the name, or annoyed with her for disturbing his slumber, Gloria wasn't sure. "Okay... I'm not sure if that was a yes or a no, but I think I'm going to take it as a yes."

Galina chuckled softly. "Awe," she cooed. "He finally has a name." The house phone on the kitchen counter began to ring and she stood up to answer it. "I didn't think it was going to be that easy," she said over her shoulder. "We've been arguing about names for months." 

"I was starting to accept Dinosaur as the winner," Gloria shrugged.

Lourdes rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't put it past you. You've been calling him a dinosaur this whole pregnancy, watch this kid come out and be a little gremlin."

"Never," Gloria said, wrapping her arms around her stomach. "He's going to be so sweet and innocent." Looking across the kitchen at Galina who was pinching her bottom lip between her fingers, she frowned. "Who is it?" she asked concernedly.

"It's Sister Ingalls," Galina said, covering the receiver with her hand. She continued to let the nun talk, her brows furrowing even more in confusion.

"Well what's wrong?" Gloria asked. "Is she okay?"

"It's Daya," Galina told her, the Sister was still explaining the situation to her and she was hanging on every word. "She went to the hospital last night… they're about to do an emergency c-section… Aleida still hasn't showed up."


	18. Chapter 18

**Johanna-002 wrote this chapter. **

"I'll be back later tonight," Gloria had said as she walked into the kitchen with her snow boots and heavy winter jacket. She was out of breath, and it was with great difficulty that she lowered herself down into one of the kitchen chairs. "Will you help me put these on?" she asked.

"Where do you think you're going?" Galina asked her in amazement.

"To be with Daya." Gloria pulled her leg up, grunting as she did so. The further along she progressed in her pregnancy, the harder it became to do the simplest of tasks.

"Daya?" Galina questioned, "Have you lost your mind?" She shook her head in frustration and pulled out the cleaning supplies that her children would need to deep clean the bathrooms and kitchen. Now that all of them, except for Vasily and Julio, were grounded she was going to take advantage of the help. "I'm not letting you out in that weather," she told Gloria seriously.

"But, Galina, she doesn't have anyone," Gloria protested. "Would you want to give birth alone?" She tried again to put her shoe on, failing miserably as her large belly caused her right leg to slide off of her left.

"I was alone," Galina reminded her with a stern look. "Dmitri hung out in the hall with the first one and didn't even bother to show up to the hospital when I had Vasily. Daya has Sister Ingalls; she will be okay."

"Galina-"

"No, Gloria. It takes an hour to get to the hospital on a good day," she explained. "You shouldn't be driving in this weather if you don't have to, and by the time you get there, she will probably be on so much medication she isn't even awake. You can visit her in a couple of days once the weather clears up."

"Aleida isn't with her," Gloria told her unnecessarily. "She's going to deliver this baby alone. Nobody deserves that."

"It's a very sad situation, but she isn't alone," Galina reminded her as she filled the mop bucket up with water. She could feel Gloria's eyes on her, looking at her as if she was some sort of monster who had personally wished these horrible circumstances onto Daya. 

"Look, Gloria," she said, turning off the water. "I wish things could be different for her, but I can't change her circumstance, and we have our own family to worry about. What happens if you go out there and get into an accident or something?"

"Oh, please," Gloria scoffed. "You've been reading too many books. Stop looking for plot-twists that you can throw into this conversation."

Galina narrowed her eyes, looking at Gloria like the idiot she was pretending to be. "It's as if you haven't listened to anything I've been saying about the weather," she scolded her. Setting the bucket on the floor, she retrieved the mop and broom from the storage closet where she kept her cleaning supplies. "The doctor warned you about getting too stressed and if you keep chasing after that girl trying to fix everything, you're going to end up in a hospital bed next to her."

"Who's going to end up in a hospital bed?" Nicky asked, coming into the room with Julio on her back.

"Put him down and come get this bucket," Galina instructed her daughter. "I want you and your brothers to clean the bathrooms both upstairs and down stairs, and then you're all going to do laundry and clean your rooms."

"Before you do all of that, Nicky, help me with my shoes," Gloria said, beckoning Nicky over to her. She'd only succeeded in getting one shoe on and still needed to find a way to tie it.

"No," Galina objected, "Don't help her with anything. Do as I asked, please."

"Mommy," Julio said as Nicky set him on his feet. "Where are you going? I want to go with you. Are you going to play outside?" He squatted down with the intention of helping her with her shoes.

"I thought you were playing with Vasily, honey?" Galina frowned, walking around the island. She scooped Julio into her arms, preventing him from helping his mother with her shoes. She kissed his chubby cheek affectionately, and rocked him in his arms as if her were an infant.

"Vasily won't let me play his video game," he pouted, easily melting into her embrace.

Galina exhaled a breath of frustration and rested her forehead against Julio's, squeezing him to her tightly. "Does everyone want to get themselves grounded today?" she asked aloud. Kissing his cheek once more, she asked, "Do you want to watch a movie with me and mommy?" 

"No," Julio shook his head. Wiggling in her arms he pointed to his mother and said, "I want to play outside with Mommy."

"Mommy isn't going outside because she can't put her shoes on by herself," Galina told him in a sing-song voice as she set him back on the ground.

"Is it because her belly is too big?" he asked. "I can help her. Mommy do you want me to help you?"

Gloria nodded her head, "Yes, baby."

"Mommy isn't going anywhere. She's grounded now, too," Galina explained as she steered Julio in the direction of the living room. "Go tell Vasily to turn off the video game. Me and mommy will be there in a minute and we can watch a movie."

"But he's being mean," Julio reminded her.

"Tell him I said he'll be grounded and have to help Nicky clean if he doesn't be nice. Okay?" she swatted his bottom affectionately, watching as he ran out of the kitchen as fast as his little legs would carry him. 

Gloria glared up at the redhead, biting the inside of her cheek roughly as Galina pulled off the snowboot that she'd only just managed to get her foot into. "Galina don't be like this," she pleaded. "Nicky?" she called for the girl as she carried her cleaning supplies out of the room with her.

"Sorry, Gloria," Nicky told her. "The warden isn't playing games today."

"Keep calling me that and I'll add another week to your punishment," Galina threatened her. She kept a fixed glare on her daughter's back, watching as she obediently did as she was asked. She heard Nicky's muffled voice informing Yuri and Maxim on their chores and she felt pleased with herself as she heard their feet on the ground.

Turning around to her partner, Galina shook Gloria's boot at her in irritation. "You promised me that you would let Aleida and Daya handle her own mess from now on," she reminded her.

"Aleida is unreliable," Gloria objected. 

"That's not my problem."

"Galina, what-"

"This isn't up for discussion," Galina told her. "I'm not letting you drive in this weather. The last thing I need is a phone call that you hit a patch of ice and flipped the car into a ditch. You could get yourself killed and it's not worth it. Just stay home, and let's ring in the New Year with my grounded, angry children."

"You're very dramatic, you know that?" Gloria asked her, crossing her arms over her chest.

Taking a seat across next to Gloria at the table, Galina took her hand and gently kissed the back of it. "We're together now," she whispered. "You can't just run out of the house and put the pieces together for someone else's family. I know you care about Daya and that you want to be there for her, but our kids and our family comes first."

Gloria didn't respond right away, but the loving sparkle in Galina's eye made the corners of her lips twitch upward in a smile. As much as she hated to admit it, Galina was right. She cared for Daya immensely, but there was only so much that she could do. She was heavily pregnant herself and as much as she wanted to be with the young girl, she couldn't put herself or her unborn child at risk. The roads were too dangerous and it made no sense to be on them when she didn't truly need to be. 

"I hate when you're right," she said finally.

"I know," Galina smirked, kissing her hand once more. "But get used to it, babe." She dropped her hand to Gloria's abdomen, a breath of relief coursing through her at the feel of their son kicking. He seemed to be such a sensitive little guy, and she always worried about him when Gloria got herself worked up.

"You have a beautiful heart, you know that?" Galina whispered. "I just wish you put as much focus into yourself as you do into others." She believed babies to be sensitive to their mothers emotions and ever since Gloria's brief hospital stay in November, she had urged her to take a truly necessary back seat to Aleida and Daya's issues, reminding her that she had her own babies and her own health to think about.

Exhaling a deep breath, Gloria laid her hand atop of Galina's where it rested on her stomach. She knew the Diaz girls were more trouble than they were worth, but she just couldn't seem to let them go. It enraged her that Aleida could be so oblivious and careless about how her actions affected Daya, and all she wanted to do was protect the young girl from the pain and emotional trauma that she knew would stick with her long after her daughter was born.

"I'm too invested," she confessed. Leaning her head back against the chair, she hugged her stomach protectively.

"I know," Galina whispered. She leaned forward in her chair to kiss Gloria's temple sweetly. She knew how badly Gloria wanted Daya to keep the baby and figure out some way to make it work, but she wasn't sure if that was the best choice for Daya or her child. While she didn't agree with Aleida's method, she certainly understood where she was coming from. It wasn't fair to make someone who could hardly afford to take care of their own children, to now be responsible for their grandchild.

"Come on," she coaxed her, helping Gloria out of her chair. "Let's watch a movie with the boys. We can probably even squeeze in a brief nap before I have to give the kids another chore to do."

Gloria smirked, "Lead the way, Warden."

...

Once the roads had been cleared and salted over, Gloria wasted no time in making a plan to get to Daya as quickly as she could. In hindsight, it was probably best that she had waited a few days to visit. She remembered the way she'd felt after delivering her own children, and the last thing she had ever wanted was an audience to sit around and watch her lick her wounds. Birthing a baby wasn't a glamorous experience, and having experienced a c-section herself, when she'd delivered her twin daughters, she was keenly aware of how important that recovery time was.

Walking down the long hospital corridors, a box of Christmas truffles and a card tucked under her arm, Gloria knocked softly on the open door of Daya's room before entering. The new mother was tucked into her hospital bed, propped up against her pillows, looking absolutely exhausted.

"Gloria?" Daya questioned sleepily, her head lulling against the pillow. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I came to see you, honey," Gloria told her, setting down her purse and gifts on the foot of Daya's bed. She pulled off her winter gear and placed them on the chair against the wall before embracing the young girl in a hug. "Are you just waking up?" she asked.

"Kind of," Daya mumbled. "The medications they gave me are really strong. I'll probably fall asleep again soon," she said. "The nurse just came in to give me another dose."

"That's okay," Gloria smiled at her, pushing Daya's baby hair out of her face. "I just wanted to see you. Sister Ingalls told me they were releasing you tomorrow."

"You could have waited until I got home," Daya smiled at her. "You didn't have to drive all this way for me."

"Well," Gloria shrugged, seating herself next to Daya on the bed. "Don't tell Galina that, alright? She just let me off of house arrest this morning and I needed an excuse to get out of there. My aunt came into town unexpectedly and hasn't left yet because of all the snow we've been getting. Plus, Galina grounded all of the kids so I have a bunch of little inmates running around, complaining about their punishment."

"Sounds like my mom's boyfriend when we visited him in jail," Daya scoffed.

Gloria sighed sadly. "Where is your mom? Has she come to see you or the baby?" she asked. "I heard she wasn't hear when you went into labor."

"She was here when I woke up," Daya said. "I think she's outside smoking right now."

"Hmm," Gloria nodded. Taking Daya's hand in both of hers, she squeezed it lovingly. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore," she said tiredly. "I can't really do anything on my own and they said it will be a long recovery process."

"You had major abdominal surgery," Gloria said, her lips tugging upward into a sympathetic smile. "You're going to be sore for a while, but just think of it as more time that you get to lay in bed and cuddle with the baby." Looking around the room, her brows furrowed in confusion. "Speaking of, where is the baby? I wanted to see her, and I promised Galina I would bring home pictures. My son will be here in a couple of weeks, you know?" She placed a loving hand atop her abdomen, smiling as she felt her unborn kick excitedly in her womb. In several short weeks from now, it would be she who was delivering a baby, and as excited as she was to hold her son on the outside, she mourned the fact that this would be her last child.

"Gloria," Daya whimpered her name sadly, "Gloria, I'm not keeping my baby." 

"Ohhh…" Gloria murmured, her eyebrows raised in shock. Her eyes continued searching Daya's blank and pale face for answers, but nothing was being revealed. "When did that happen?" 

"I signed the adoption papers a couple hours ago, and my mom called the parents to come get her this afternoon," Daya said monotonously. She pulled her hand out of Gloria's grasp and trailed it across the blanket before gripping it tightly in her fists and tugging it up higher to her chest as though to shield herself from the older woman's reaction.

"It's only been three days," Gloria shook her head in disbelief.

"I know," Daya nodded her head. "I had a little bit of time with her-"

"And that time didn't incite you to change your mind?" Gloria demanded, her words sounding a lot harsher than she intended. She bit down on her tongue before she could say anything more. With a soft sigh, she stood up from Daya's bed and walked over to the window.

"Please don't be mad at me," Daya whispered. "I didn't want to let her go, but I just love her so much," she explained. "I can't give her the life that she deserves, it wouldn't be fair to keep her. I know deep down you understand," she whispered.

Closing her eyes, Gloria exhaled a deep breath. Of course she understood. She understood better than anyone. However, it didn't make saying goodbye any easier. In fact, admitting that you weren't enough and acknowledging that you couldn't give a child all that they needed was the most painful of any realization that one could have. Because how could you, that baby's mother, not be deserving of them? She wrapped her arms around her stomach, cradling her son close to her.

"Gloria?"

At the sound of her name, Gloria turned slowly.

"They're good people," Daya reassured her. "Joe and Natalie. They'll love her and take care of her. They'll take her on vacations and make sure she goes to college. She'll get to have sleepovers and big birthday parties, she'll go to summer camp and maybe even learn to garden. She's going to have a good life; a better life then I could ever give her."

"You got to meet them?"

"Yea," Daya nodded, "Natalie hugged me and thanked me. They've been trying to have a baby for a couple of years and they promised me they would stay in touch. I guess it's like an open adoption, have you heard of it?"

Gloria shook her head no. "What is that?" she asked eagerly.

"They get to set the tone, but as long as their willing, the adoptive parents allow you into their life so that the baby doesn't have to wait until she is eighteen to find me. They're going to send letters and pictures and said we can have a visit once a year. She'll know me, Gloria," Daya explained. "She's going to know that I loved her, and that I did this for her."

"That's great, honey," Gloria's words didn't hold much conviction, and she had to force herself to smile. Walking the short distance to the bed, she stroked her hand though Daya's hair and leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"Are you mad at me?"

"No, baby," she kissed her again. "No, I'm not mad," she promised. "You have to do what you have to do," she whispered. "Don't let me, or anyone else for that matter make you feel bad about that."

"I just want to be a good mom," Daya admitted.

Gloria gently stroked the side of Daya's face. "You already are," she swore. "Good mother's put their children above themselves. You are a wonderful mother, and that baby is going to be so lucky to know you and know what you did for her."

"You think so?"

"Yea," Gloria nodded, "I do." 


	19. Chapter 19

**Thank you for the reviews. This chapter was written by Johanna-002. **

Bounding up the front steps of her parents' restaurant, Nicky had the biggest smile on her face. It was April Fools day, one of her favorite non-holidays, and the day had been more memorable than she could have ever hoped for. Not only had she been invited to celebrate Lorna's upcoming birthday at Coney Island, but Alex had invited her to the spring dance… _as her date!_

It wasn't a trick. It wasn't a prank. It was for real. Alexandra Vause wanted to take her to the school dance. She wanted Nicky to be her date. It was a date!__

_A real date, _Nicky thought, her cheeks burning with happiness. Pulling open the front door, she shouted, "Mama! Mama where are you?"

"_Aye, cabrona!" _Aleida scolded her harshly, turning away from the customers she'd been assisting. "What's the matter with you? Your mother never taught you manners or something? People are trying to enjoy their meal in peace."

Nicky waved her off and clutched the straps of her backpack excitedly. Rising onto her tip-toes she scanned the busy floor for any signs of her mother or for Gloria. She saw her father out on the patio, but knew that he wasn't the best person to share her news with. He'd been acting strange around her every since he'd caught her and Alex kissing back in December, and to this day he'd never bothered to sit down and talk to her about it.

Which confused her more than she would like to admit. On one hand she was grateful, because by him not saying anything then at least he wasn't saying something hurtful and rude, but on the other hand, she would have liked to have been acknowledged. Her mother had talked with her after it happened and their relationship had been better for it, especially once Galina had confessed to having similar feelings for Gloria.

That revelation, while shocking, hadn't exactly surprised Nicky. In fact, if anything it had left feeling incredibly _normal, _which, Gloria reminded her constantly was just a setting on a washing machine.

"There isn't normal, _Mija, _there's only what makes you happy." Gloria's words, and her mother's reassurances that she'd love her no matter what, had left Nicky feeling comfortable to talk to both women and be honest about what she was going through. She'd been so conflicted, going back and forth between Alex and Lorna in her mind, and what to do about them, that sometimes she found herself just needing to talk it out and get it off her chest.

For the longest time she'd known that Alex had a crush on Piper, but that Piper had also liked Larry and that she kept going back and forth on what she wanted. She'd never give Alex a straight answer and Alex was sad. Nicky didn't want to be her rebound just because Piper didn't like her, but on the other hand, Nicky was self-aware to know that she was doing the same thing. She wasn't on Lorna's radar and never would be, and that upset her. Lorna had only ever saw her brother, Yuri, and then Christopher, and now, somehow, a guy named Vinnie. How Vinnie had come into the mix, Nicky still wasn't sure, but Lorna seemed pretty convinced that they'd get married and have lots of babies.

"And Alex is always so nice to me," Nicky said one night as she, Gloria, and her mother were all curled up in the living room. Gloria had been playing with her mother's hair, and Galina had her hand on Gloria's thigh, both of their feet propped up on the coffee table and they were wrapped warmly in a fleece blanket.

Nicky had not felt uncomfortable around them at all the way she often did around her father and his girlfriend, Tammy, and had continued to vent to them about her teenage woes.

"I like hanging out with her and it never feels awkward. I like Piper too, but sometimes I have to think about what to say to her. I really like Lorna but I don't think she really listens to me. We always just talk about what she wants to talk about and Alex kinda just gets me, ya know?"

Galina had smiled at her sleepily, loving the way Gloria's hand had felt moving through her hair. "I know," she whispered. "You can only do what makes you happy, Nicky, but please don't grow up so fast and think you have to have it all figured out. You're only thirteen years old."

"Yea," Gloria had echoed her. "What's the rush, _Mami? _Just be a kid, Nicky. You don't need to worry about dating right now."

"Yea, but-"

"When you are truly ready to date, Nicky, I suggest you date as many people as you can," Gloria advised her honestly. "I'm not saying to sleep with everyone you meet, but date. Date anyone you think you might like. You don't want to settle for someone just because that's who is available. How are you supposed to know what you like and what you don't like if you just settle for the first person you meet?"

"Take it from me," Galina told her, "you won't ever know what kind of people you like if you only date one person. You'll grow a lot between now and your twenties, thirties, hell even in your forties, fifties, and sixties you're still growing and changing."

Nicky sighed, nodding her head at their words. She'd laid her head in her mother's lap, her attention once more on the movie that they'd been watching. She felt her mom's hand play through her hair and with each pass that she'd made Nicky felt all of her stress just melt away. She'd spent the rest of that evening and much of the next couple of weeks thinking about what she'd said.

Her mother wasn't the same person that she was nine months ago, much less twenty years ago. She had changed so much, and Nicky realised with a start that so had she. Their whole family had been altered, and as scary as the initial change had been, Nicky truly believed that they were all better for it. Her mother seemed happier and much younger, and seemed to radiate a constant joy no matter what she was doing.

She wished that her mother had been this person while married to her father so that their family could have been whole, but she knew that things were better this way. She wasn't angry about the divorce anymore, and she knew that her mother had done the best she could. She was glad that she was finally happy and she was glad that she had Gloria. She loved Gloria and was so thankful for her presence in their life. Gloria loved their family and her mother very much, and that was all Nicky could really hope for.

She knew they'd been good for Gloria and Julio too, and Gloria expressed that to them everyday. It was obvious in how much she cared about them and how much she loved them, and Julio loved them all too. While Nicky still didn't know the details of all that'd happened to Gloria in her own marriage, she knew that her mother felt very protective of her, and that she cared for her and loved her in a way that she couldn't remember her ever loving or caring for her father.

Her dad had never been someone who tried to get to know her mother's hobbies or passions, and she couldn't remember a time that they'd ever really had a conversation where they didn't bicker and name call. She couldn't remember them ever curled up on the sofa to watch TV or a movie, or dancing around the living room together, but she knew that Gloria and her mother did that often.

There would be times when she'd come out of her room for a drink of water and see Gloria twirling her mother around the furniture, the both of them laughing and just enjoying one another. It had made her feel so happy to see them, her mother with her two left feet and Gloria with her big belly. It was a comedic sight, but Nicky had stayed up watching them on several different occasions for well over an hour. There wouldn't even be music playing but they'd always been so lost in each other that it never seemed to matter.

Another time, Nicky and Vasily had walked out of their rooms to see them asleep together on the sofa, their hands protectively cradled over the baby _brother _that would soon be making his entrance into the world. Nicky had never considered herself to be much of a baby person. She wasn't the girl who had played with baby dolls or played pretend house, and she didn't know yet if she'd ever want kids of her own, but she had to admit that Gloria's sons had grown on her, and that she often found herself talking about Julio and the new baby to her friends. They were just as excited to meet Benny as she was and she knew her brothers were excited too.

Yuri and Maxim had been very supportive of the relationship between their mother and Gloria, Maxim even going so far as to claim the hundred-fifty-dollars that Yuri now owed him in front of their mother when she'd told them. Apparently, it'd been something they'd been betting on for a while. At first it was to see if there even was a relationship for their mother to claim, and second to see how long it took Galina to actually tell them. It had been such a relief that everyone was on the same page of making it work, that Galina hadn't even been mad about the fact her children had bet money on her.

From the moment Gloria and Julio had showed up at their home, Yuri and Maxim had been wonderful about teaching Julio new things and including him, and Nicky always wondered if it was because their father had been so hands off with them growing up. She knew it was something that still hurt them, but Gloria had done such a wonderful job of picking up Dmitri's slack and healing some of the wounds that he'd left. There were many things that Gloria had no interest in, but instead of pushing them away like Dmitri had often done, she had always made a point to invest herself in their hobbies and ask questions, which had paid off immensely.

Not only had they gone to her for help with their homework or to simply have a conversation, but they'd felt comfortable enough to ask for her help in learning how to dance as they didn't want to be shy when asking their dates to dance, or step on her toes while trying to lead and spin her around the room. Yuri was taking a girl that he'd meet in the library, named Anna, and to everyone's surprise, Maxim was taking Daya. The girl had been hanging around their home more than ever lately since the birth of her child, and Maxim was such a calming presence to be around Nicky couldn't say that she was all that surprised that they'd become friends.

Out of all the kids, Vasily and Julio argued the most, which Nicky reasoned was probably good practice for the little guy. Pretty soon Julio wouldn't be the baby anymore and from personal experience, Nicky knew what a big adjustment that was going to be. She was his age when Vasily had been born and despite not having the most wonderful memory of that time in her life, she'd never forgiven him for taking her spot as the baby of the family.

"Ya know, instead of standing around," Aleida whispered in her ear, carrying a handful of dirty dishes. "Maybe you could actually help out around here. You'd be a lot more useful that way."

"What crawled up your butt and died?" Nicky asked, tightening her hands on her backpack straps.

"What's with you brats today, thinking you can talk to adults however you want?" Aledia questioned her.

"Nothing," Nicky shrugged, rolling her eyes "I just don't like you. Where is my mom, or Gloria? I could even take her."

"Your mother and Gloria aren't here, but I'm drowning," Aleida complained. "Please, go get your father off the patio." She cut in front of the girl, making her way toward the kitchen so that she could drop off the dirty dishes and pick up the new orders for her waiting tables.

Sighing, Nicky did as asked. Walking across the restaurant and outside, she called for her father, "Hey, Pop?"

Dmitri didn't answer her as he was too busy looking at his phone.

Nicky shifted awkwardly on the balls of her feet, waiting for her father to notice her. "Pop?" Finally, she cleared her throat after several minutes of him never turning around.

"What, Nicky?" he mumbled distracted under his breath as he continued to scrolled through his phone.

"Aleida wants to know if you'd come in and help her. She's really busy."

Dmitri threw his head back and groaned. "Your mother is supposed to be working with her," he complained. "I'm not supposed to be here today. I was supposed to drive to the city with Tammy."

"Well…" Nicky shrugged her shoulders awkwardly. "Mama isn't here, so I guess you don't have a choice." She watched as her father shook his head and looked back at his phone. She'd always known him to be lazy, but was surprised at how little he'd actually managed to get his life together since the divorce. Tammy wasn't much better, as she enabled him to sit around like a slum-lord cat by waiting on him hand and foot.

"Where is Ma?" Nicky asked after several minutes of her father saying nothing.

"With Gloria. Your mother called me this morning and said she's been in labor since last night," he shook his head in disinterest. "She'll probably have the baby tonight or tomorrow, but I don't know why your mother couldn't come in. It's not like she is the one who is having a baby."

"Wait? Nicky shook her head. "Gloria's in labor? The baby is coming? Is this a joke?"

Gloria had been complaining for the last couple of months of her pregnancy, but even more so the last couple of days about how tired and ready she was for Benny to come out. She was several days past her due date, and she was over it. She'd spent the last couple of days walking up the stairs, squatting, doing lunges, eating spicy foods and anything else that she could think of doing to induce labor.

Thinking back on it, Nicky hadn't seen Gloria that morning and her mother hadn't cooked breakfast either. In fact, she'd actually had the audacity to hand them each a package of pop-tarts before ushering them out of the house as quickly as she could. She should have known something was up when there wasn't real food on the table, but had been so elated at the opportunity to eat 'wrapped junk', as her mother called it, that she hadn't thought much of it.

"That's what she said," Dmitri shrugged. "But can you believe your mother, taking the day off when it has nothing to do with her? She always wants a medal for what she does. I mean, what about my medal? I'm the one who has to work an entire day without help."

"Technically Aleida is the one doing all the work," Nicky told him. "You're just sitting out here on your phone, complaining… like always."

"Excuse me?" he raised his eyebrows at her.

"Nothing," Nicky shook her head, turning on her heel. "I got to go."

"Where are you going? You could stay and help Aleida wait some table, you know."

"Nah, I got to get home," Nicky said, "I want to try and see Gloria and Ma before they have the baby. See ya, Pop."

…

Gloria was bent over the coffee table, moaning through a contraction as Galina pressed on her back, when Nicky walked through the door. "Galina," Gloria whimpered her name, her forehead resting on her folded hands. "I really think we need to get to a hospital now."

"I know," Galina whispered to her. She smiled at Nicky as she rubbed Gloria's back comfortingly. "Do you think you can stand up now?" she asked her gently.

Gloria nodded her head and allowed Galina to help her to her feet. Her contractions had been irregular for most of her laboring and were only now starting to become more consistent and painful. She had some time, but with the hospital being an hour away, Gloria knew that they needed to go ahead and get on the road to avoid having this baby on the side of the highway.

"Are her bags in the car?" Nicky asked, automatically reaching for Gloria's hand to help her out to her mother's car.

"Yea," Galina nodded her head. "Would you grab that bag for me, though?" she asked.

"Towels?" Nicky questioned, frowning as she picked up the bag.

"I just want to be prepared in case this baby can't wait," Galina explained. "And I want to minimize any damage to my car."

"Your car?" Gloria growled through gritted teeth. "I have a very stubborn little human trying to tunnel his way out of my vagina, so you'll forgive me if I don't care about your seats right now." Whimpering, she added, "I've been waiting for him for almost ten months. He better wait until I get to the hospital before he comes sliding out. I don't think I can do this without an epidural."

Nicky smiled at her mom and rubbed Gloria's hand sympathetically. "Where is everyone?" she asked as her mother led the way down the front steps.

"Your brothers are running around with Joel, Vasily is with Lida, and Julio is with Sister Ingalls. She is going to keep him until we get back from the hospital, but I gave her your number in case she needs to come over and get anything for him," Galina explained as she opened the car door and laid down a towel. She reached under the seat and moved it back as far as it would go so that Gloria could relax comfortably. The car was packed with pillows, blankets, their bags and the car seat that they'd soon be using to bring their son home.

"Why did you bring so much stuff?" Nicky asked in amazement as she put the bag of towels into the back seat.

"You never know," Galina said, helping Gloria into the car. "It's better to be over prepared than under. Now, I told your father to check in on you and your brothers, which I very much doubt that he'll do that, so call Sister Ingalls if you need her okay? Depending on when Gloria has the baby, it'll depend on when we come home."

Nicky nodded her head. "Got it" she reassured her mom.

"Now, I got your text message that you had big news to share with me," Galina told her, lovingly brushing Nicky's hair out of her face. "I promise I want to hear all about it-"

"I know, Ma," Nicky interrupted her. "Call me a little later if you can. It's okay. It can wait."

"Are you sure?" Galina asked her concernedly. "I don't want you to think-"

"Like Gloria said, a human is trying to tunnel it's way out of her body," Nicky smirked. "I think my news can wait." Hearing moaning and watching through the window as Gloria's face contorted into one of pure agony, Nicky's eyes widened and she looked back at her mother. "Gloria on the other hand… I don't think she'll be able to wait much longer."

Galina hugged her daughter tightly, kissing her forehead and then her cheek. "I love you, sweetheart. There is enough food, already cooked, in the fridge to last three days," she explained making her way to the driver's side of the car. "Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Please don't miss school and go to bed on time so that you don't miss the bus. I'm counting on you and your brothers to be responsible, and will be very upset if I get a phone call from the school. Understand?"

"Yes ma'am," Nicky smirked.

"Alright, I love you."

"Love you more." Nicky tapped on Gloria's window and waved goodbye. It took everything that Gloria had to physically force herself to smile and wave back.

Reversing out of the long driveway and putting the car in drive, Galina offered Gloria her hand. "You ready?" she whispered as she rubbed the back of Gloria's hand soothingly with her thumb.

Gloria leaned her head against the window, her free hand cradled around her stomach. "I'm scared," she admitted. "Oh, Galina, I'm so scared." She'd been waiting for this baby to make his arrival for weeks now, but now that they were in the home stretch the fear was beginning to truly set in.

Other than her son being taken from her she hadn't ever had any fears her entire pregnancy, but now every awful thought was flying through her mind. She knew it was silly, because she loved her baby so much already, but she worried about being able to love him the way she loved Julio. Julio was her baby, he'd been the one she'd got to keep and raise, and he was so sweet and loving, and he never looked at her differently. He'd loved her at her worst and now at her best and to him, she was the world. She was the sun and the moon, and all of the stars in the galaxy. Now, she feared that she wouldn't be able to bond with this new baby the same way. What would happen if when she held him for the first time, he didn't feel like _hers_?

"Don't be scared, baby," Galina whispered, bringing her hand up so that she could kiss the back of it. "You are going to do great, okay. You are beautiful, and you're strong and you can do this. Alright? You can do this." She kissed her hand once more. "I believe in you."

…

Lying on her side in her hospital bed, Gloria was beside herself in agony. She had an IV in her hand and monitors on her belly, so that could see her contractions and hear the baby's heartbeat as she progressed through her labor.

"Galina," Gloria whispered tiredly, a new contraction beginning to rip through her. She'd just had four back to back, each one lasting nearly three minutes a piece, with no more than a three second break between them, and she was exhausted. She'd been in labor nearly twenty-two hours and didn't know how much longer her body was going to be able to take it.

They'd gotten to the hospital just after four-thirty that afternoon, and after being checked in at the front desk, they had been taken up to maternity where Sara, a nurse, had helped Gloria change out of her clothes and into a gown before checking her cervix. Sara had congratulated her on making it to a five, telling her that she'd expected her to progress rather quickly.

However, it was now almost eight-thirty at night and the last time that they'd checked her cervix, she'd only been at a seven. There seemed to be no end in sight and it felt as if no one was listening to her. She'd asked for an epidural when she'd arrived, only for Sara to tell her to, "hang on, and just try to do it without one."

Stunned and unable to voice an objection, Gloria had waited, asking again at five-thirty when her contractions had grown in intensity and length, only for the same nurse to tell her that it'd be an hour before an anesthesiologist was available to perform the procedure.

Blotting her forehead with a wet rag, Galina smiled sadly at her. "You're doing so good, Gloria," she praised her. Gloria moaned and Galina averted her eyes to the monitor where she could see the contractions. Her own body was starting to hurt just watching her and all she wanted was to bring her as much comfort as she could.

"It won't be much longer," she promised. "It's going to be over soon, okay?" She continued to blot her face with the rag, growing more and more concerned at how pale Gloria was starting to look.

Gripping onto the bar of her bed, Gloria buried her face into her pillow. "Galina," she said her name again, this time more brokenly, "I _need_ an epidural."

"I know, baby," stroking her hair, Galina shook her head at how much sweat she could feel on the palm of her hand. It was like touching someone who'd just gotten out of shower.

Gloria started to cry, feeling only seconds of peace as her contraction started to taper off. "It hurts," she whimpered. "Galina, it's really starting to hurt. I don't think I can do this. Please."

"Okay," Galina whispered. "Okay, I'll try to find a nurse." She leaned over to kiss her cheek, "I'm proud of you, Gloria. Okay? I love you."

Gloria nodded, mumbling, "Love you too," as she rode a new title wave threatening to rip her in two. She had hardly gotten any sleep the night before and hadn't slept much today either. Her strength was leaving her, and who knew how much longer it would be before she dilated to a ten, and was given the okay to push. What she did know was that she was tired and in a lot of pain, and that she wouldn't be able to push her baby out if she wasn't able to get a little reprieve.

Just as Galina was walking out of the room, Gloria's nurse walked in. She smiled kindly, and reached for a pair of gloves. "Hi, Gloria," her happy, upbeat voice was anything but comforting and Gloria glared at her unhappily as she moved slowly onto her back. "I'm going to check your cervix and Dr. Bursett should be coming in soon to check on you, okay? She's just delivered another baby across the hall."

"How great for her," Gloria said bitterly. She wasn't in the mood to make small talk. She didn't want to be best friends with her nurse, especially when she refused to help her. It was ridiculous that she'd had to ask more than once for an epidural and she wasn't happy. This wasn't what she needed right now. All she'd wanted out of this delivery was for it to be as smooth as possible, with as little complication as they could manage, and to be listened to.

"She needs an epidural," Galina said sternly as the nurse reached between Gloria's legs to check her cervix. "She's in a lot of pain and is starting to look pale. I'm worried that she won't be able to push if she doesn't get one."

The nurse focused intently on what she was doing, her face instantly pulling into one of worry, as she continued to feel around in Gloria's body. Without saying a word to either woman, she stripped off her gloves and ran out of the room.

"What the fuck?" Gloria hissed, pushing herself up on her elbows. At that very moment, the machine where they'd been keeping track of Benny's heartbeat started to decelerate. Starting at 160 and dropping very rapidly to 158, 150, 147.

It wasn't very long until Dr. Burset was coming into the room behind Sara. She had only been in to check on the once since they'd gotten to the hospital, which wasn't exactly out of the ordinary, but it'd left both mother's feeling extremely frustrated when they couldn't get the help that they were needing.

"Hi, Gloria," Dr. Burset smiled at her as she put on some gloves. "How are you feeling, honey?"

Gloria groaned and gripping tightly to the bars of her bed, she shouted, "How do you think I'm doing? I've been asking for an epidural for nearly five hours and still haven't gotten one."

"What?" The doctor frowned at her. She looked over her shoulder at the nurse who was refusing to meet her gaze. "What do you mean you haven't gotten one?" She reached between her legs to check her cervix much like the nurse had done moments earlier.

"Did I stutter?" Gloria hissed angrily.

Galina covered Gloria's hand where it was wrapped tightly around the bar of her bed. "What's going on?" she asked, watching as the same worried look came over Sophia's face that had come over the nurses. "Why are you looking at her like that? Why has his heart rate started to drop?" she looked at the screen behind her, 120 flashing on the monitor.

Sophia slowly pulled off her gloves. "Honey, I know you're not going to like to hear this but we have to get you up for a c-section." She turned to the nurse and said, "Call the O.R and tell them I'm on my way and that I'm going to need an anesthesiologist ready."

"Wait? What?" Gloria's eyes widened in horror and she looked from the Doctor to her partner. "Why a c-section?" she asked. "I've been laboring… what's wrong?"

"You have a prolapsed cord," Sophia explained, pulling down an oxygen mask. She situated it over Gloria's face and tightened the straps to hold it in place. "That means that the umbilical cord is out before the baby. There is too much pressure on the cord and that is why his heart rate is dropping. We need to get you to an O.R so that we can get him out safely. We don't have time for an epidural, so I'm going to have to put you under general anesthesia."

"Anesthesia?" Galina questioned.

"No," Gloria shook her head against the pillow. Fresh tears began to well in her eyes and she didn't do anything to stop it as they began to glide down her cheeks. "No," she said again. "I'm going to miss it… I'm going to miss everything if you do that. Galina-"

"Isn't there something else you can do?" Galina asked heart brokenly as Gloria continued to claw at her hand in distress. She'd never had a c-section herself, but she'd known a lot of women who had and they'd been conscious enough to see and hear their baby being born. It felt cruel to take that opportunity away from Gloria. She'd been waiting months to meet her son, and now they were telling she'd have to wait even longer.

"I'm sorry, Gloria," Sophia shook her head. "The only other thing we can do is an epidural-spinal block and that will take time to kick in. We don't have that. We need to get in and get your son out before his heart rate drops too low. I am so sorry."

Galina shook her head in frustration. "If she'd had an epidural earlier, when we'd first asked, then she wouldn't need the anesthesia?"

Sophia nodded her head yes and at that very moment, Sara came back into the room.

"I don't want her here," Gloria said angrily, her nails digging even more ferociously into Galina's hand. She turned her head up to Sophia. "Find another nurse if you have to. You do what you have to do, but I don't want her here. I don't want her touching me or my baby."

"You heard her!" Galina snapped angrily, glaring daggers at the negligent nurse. "Get out!" Sophia gave Sara a dismissive wave of her hand and the terrified looking nurse automatically retreated.

Galina squeezed Gloria's hand tightly, watching helplessly as tears flowed down her cheeks. Gloria's hair was damp with sweat, her eyes were bloodshot and raw. She'd been enduring unspeakable agony for hours and it had all been...for nothing. It hadn't led to her baby being born. They were going to have to cut her open to remove him and she wasn't even going to be able to see him when he was born. Gloria wouldn't even be awake to hold Benny in his first precious moments in the world.

"I'm here, darling," Galina murmured, kissing Gloria's sweaty brow just as two brand new nurses hurried into the room and each went to a different end of the bed.

The nurse at her feet announced they were taking her to the O.R. and then pushed the bed out of the room before either Gloria or Galina could process what was happening. Galina made to follow, but was taken in the opposite direction with Sophia where she was told she could scrub up and change before the procedure.

After following the directions she'd been given, they lead her out to the operating room where Gloria was waiting for her. She was still very upset, but relaxed visibly when she saw Galina at her side.

"You like kinda cute," Gloria told her painfully as the anesthesiologist adjusted a hair cap on her head.

Galina smiled at her, gently stroking her cheek. She was in a blue pair of scrubs and her shoes and hair were covered in much the same fashion. "You're doing so great, Gloria," she whispered. "Okay? Everything is going to be okay. Your baby is going to be here very soon. I'm so proud of you."

Gloria shook her head no. "I'm going to miss everything," she whispered brokenly.

"I know, honey," Galina kissed her softly. "I'm right here, okay? I'm not going to let anything happen to him, or you."

Gloria nodded her head in understanding. "Don't leave him," she pleaded. "Watch him the entire time."

"I promise," Galina told her.

"Okay, Gloria," it was the anesthesiologist. "I'm going to switch your mask, and you're going to count back from 100, okay?" Galina watched as Gloria started to count, her eyes growing heavy and her body starting to relax before she'd even made it to 96.

Minutes later, Sophia and several other nurses entered the room. It sounded as if people were talking to her through a tunnel, their words muffled and not making much sense. Galina didn't have the energy or will to decipher what they were saying, and for her own sanity she purposely kept her attention on Gloria, watching the even rise and fall of her chest. It felt like hours, but she knew it was probably only minutes later when she finally heard the loud, shrill cries, signaling the birth of their son. Benjamin Isaac Mendoza. 


	20. Chapter 20

It was a quarter past eleven at night, and Gloria had just barely begun to drift off to sleep when the cries from the bassinet woke her up. "Benjamin Moo, what am I going to do with you?" she sighed, sitting back up in bed with some difficulty and peering down at her fussing baby.

Benny glared up at her and his lips quivered in distress. She had rocked and sang until he was asleep in her arms, but he'd awoken as soon as she'd put him down. He did this almost every time without fail, and it made sense when you considered that he'd just spent over nine months inside of her. All he wanted was to be carried around and get to sleep on her chest through the night. Gloria wasn't comfortable sharing her bed with him though, the thought that anything could happen to him terrified her, so there'd been a lot of nightly wakeups and resistance from the baby who seemed to have had an aversion to his bassinet from the start.

"What's wrong, _papi_?" Gloria asked softly, watching the baby writhe in his swaddle with displeasure at being restrained. Taking care not to aggravate her abdomen, which was still painful following her caesarean, Gloria tucked her hands underneath Benny's head and bottom and picked him up. She sucked her teeth as she felt a sharp twinge across her middle, and leaned back against the headboard, holding the baby to her.

"Huh?" Gloria crooned, stroking her index finger delicately along his eyebrows. Benny had stopped fussing as soon as he was being held again. He sighed contentedly and his eyes stared back into hers.

"There's nothing wrong, you spoiled little boy," she teased, leaning down to kiss his tiny button nose. "You just want mommy to hold you and never dare put you down again, right? Is that all?"

Julio had been an easy baby who had slept through the night by two weeks old and loved to be swaddled. Benny, so far, seemed to be the polar opposite of his brother. Not only did he insist on being carried constantly, he also was very particular about how he was held and about what he was facing. Gloria would have been more concerned, except that having a partner to help her meant that the task of caring for such a demanding baby was not so overwhelming. Galina had been helping and supporting her every step of the way.

"I love you," Gloria whispered, smiling at the sleepy, milk-drunk smile on her son's lips. She stroked her finger down his little cherub cheek to his tiny chin. Benny made a small noise in the back of his throat, and peered up at her through his heavy lids, as though daring her to try to put him down again.

"I'm not going anywhere," she promised him, "I'm right here." She bent her head to softly kiss his cheek, loving how tiny and perfect he felt in her arms. Throughout her whole pregnancy she had suspected that he'd be a large baby, but when she'd woken from her deeply, induced sleep after her caesarean, she had been amazed at how small he was.

It had been a shock to see him as he was anyway. Already dressed in the little blue sleeper she had packed with the matching cap on his head. Galina had been quick to give Benny to her, but it had still been devastating to realize she had missed out on those first bonding moments. Benny had already gone back into a deep sleep by the time she got to hold him, and she had only been able to have him for a couple of minutes before the pain in her incision became too great. She had spent most of Benny's first twenty-four hours in the world drifting in and out of consciousness.

"You just want to make up for lost time," Gloria said, who sincerely believed that not holding her baby as soon as he was born may have contributed to Benny's excessive clinginess. She was the center of his entire world and all he had known. The only thing that made Gloria feel a little better was knowing that Galina had cradled Benny exactly as she would have done, and had been caring for both of them ever since.

"Our little guy just wants to stay up and party, doesn't he?" Galina said, appearing in the doorway looking utterly exhausted. She had dark circles under her eyes and hadn't even had the energy to put on makeup that morning. She smiled at the sight of Gloria in bed with Benny though and tried to suppress a yawn.

"Every night," Gloria agreed, with a helpless shrug. "He's going to be fun as a teenager."

"We're going to be in trouble," Galina said, leaning her head against the doorframe.

"Is Julio asleep?" Gloria asked her. "I never heard you come in."

"Yeah, he fell asleep on the drive home," Galina replied. "I carried him into bed without turning any lights on because I was hoping the baby might be letting you rest for a change. The other kids are already asleep too."

"I think he's afraid that he is going to miss something," Gloria said, holding the baby up so that Galina could see the sweet face, with the open and alert looking eyes.

"Hi, darling," Galina crooned, walking into the room and reaching out a hand to stroke Benny's plump little cheek. "You're not going to miss anything because mommy and I want to go to sleep with you.

"I don't think he believes you," Gloria sighed, as Benny sneezed loudly, making both of them laugh.

"High maintenance babies like this are the reason I spent years of my life sleeping with my tits out of my nightshirt," Galina said, perching herself on the edge of the bed and rubbed her hand back and forth over Gloria's leg. "Maxim was the only one who ever was willing to go to sleep as a baby without my breast in his mouth."

"Yeah, well I have no interest in becoming some sort of all-you-can-eat, open all-night, buffet," Gloria said honestly, smoothing her hand over Benny's swaddle. "A few more nights of putting him back in the bassinet over and over, and he should catch on."

"I hope so," Galina said, "because you need some sleep."

"Not as much as you do right now, honey," Gloria said, looking closely at Galina's exhausted face. "If I didn't know any better, I would think you were the one who just had a baby," she joked, adjusting Benny in her arms.

Galina smiled tiredly at her. She was beyond exhausted, but seeing Gloria so happy and holding their baby made all the work that she'd been doing the last couple of weeks worth it. They'd been released from the hospital two days after Benny was born and the transition had been nothing like what they'd been preparing for. You'd think after so many children between them they would learn to expect the unexpected, but it was an adjustment to juggle six kids, especially when Gloria was still having trouble getting around.

Benny was nearly a month old, but Gloria was still suffering from the c-section and had to be careful not to overdo it. Dr. Burset had warned them about incision eruption and infection, and had stressed to them about how important it was to keep the site of injury clean, and that if they did experience any complications, that they were to immediately contact her so that she could get Gloria onto the proper course of treatment.

Galina had been handling everything since they'd brought Benny home, including fussing over Gloria like she could never remember experiencing before. In addition, she was still running the house, her business, and managing all the other kids and their different schedules. She made sure Julio was getting enough attention and had changed almost every single one of Benny's diapers since he'd been born. For the first week when Gloria had nursed him, she had brought the baby to her every time he needed to be fed. And once they'd made the switch to formula, it was she who sterilized and prepared the bottles for every feeding.

Although she was tired, Galina frequently said that it was much easier this round because at least she wasn't the one recovering from childbirth on top of everything else. She could still remember what it had been like to go home only a day after having her baby, and need to automatically jump back into mothering her other children and handling everything else with next to no support.

Galina did for Gloria, what had never been done for her. She'd been left alone to labour with all four of her pregnancies, while Dmitri went to sleep in another room so she wouldn't disturb him. He'd never once gotten up with a baby in the night, and had even complained about the simplest of requests, such as refilling her water bottle when she was incessantly thirsty from breastfeeding.

Galina never could imagine treating Gloria that way, or anybody for that matter. She wanted their children to see how much she respected and loved Gloria. In her words and her actions, everything she did reflected that. She had been working harder than usual since Benny's birth. She was stretched too thin and very tired, but she'd been given the greatest of gifts in a new baby to cherish, and had watched Gloria go through unspeakable agony and heartbreak to get it. She couldn't understand how anybody could witness that and think they were more entitled to take it easy than the new mother, and she couldn't stop thinking about Dmitri and why he had never felt any of that for her.

"Lay down," Gloria told her, patting the empty spot on the bed next to her.

"I still need to do the dishes," Galina whimpered, propping her chin up with her hand.

"I'll do them in the morning," Gloria promised her. She patted the mattress again. "Please? Just lay down," she instructed her, pulling back the blanket. "Hold the baby. I know you want to. He's pretty delicious, and hard to resist."

Sighing, Galina obediently slipped beneath the covers of the bed they now shared. Until Benny had been born, they hadn't slept in the same bed since their city excursion in December, but since Gloria had come home from the hospital it had become a nightly thing. First as a safety precaution, since there would have been absolutely no way that Gloria could have walked up and down the stairs where her own bedroom was located. Now, it seemed to be something of a permanent arrangement and neither woman was complaining. Their kids were all adjusting to their own beds without much issue too. Nobody wanted to be woken up by the baby all through the night if they could avoid it.

Reaching around her back and under her shirt, Galina unclipped the bra that had been restricting her all day and threw it carelessly to the floor. She reclined back against the headboard, and watched as Benny stubbornly continued to fight sleep.

"Oh, darling," she cooed, reaching her hand out for his. "You have to go to sleep, honey," she whispered. His tiny hand wrapped around her finger and she smiled at him. "I feel like this kid is going to give Nicky a run for her money."

Gloria chuckled, turning her attention back to the precious little bundle in her arms. "I don't want to put him down," she whispered. "I just want to stare at him and kiss him, and figure out a way to keep him this little forever."

Galina kissed her shoulder and stroked Benny's hand with her thumb. "You're a good mama," she told her.

Gloria beamed at the praise. It was something she had rarely heard in the past and now was told all the time. Galina had a way of laying to rest all her doubts and making her feel empowered by her own motherly instincts. She had been soaking up her son since his birth and falling in love with him more each day. Benny had brought her and Galina even closer together than they were before.

"I'm so tired," Galina complained. "I told Nicky that I would take her into the city to pick out a dress for the dance but I really don't want to make that drive."

"I know," Gloria consoled her. "I wouldn't want to make it either, but I know she'd be upset if you didn't take her. You could even make a weekend of it with her and the boys."

"What about you?" Galina frowned, she stroked Benny's hand once more. "I don't want to leave you on your own. You're still recovering."

"I'll be okay," Gloria shrugged her off. "Julio could use some time with just he and I."

"He misses you," Galina agreed. A smile touched her lips, "He's such a good big brother, he helped me make the bottles this evening."

"He is," Gloria chuckled. "I woke up this morning to him staring at Benny in the bassinet and singing 'Row your boat' to him."

"I wish my kids had been more like that," Galina sighed. "I remember there being so many meltdowns and acting up just to get my attention-Nicky was probably the worst for it. She was so mad when Vasily was born and she lost her place as the baby of the family. She just never wanted to share me but, one of four, now one of six, it was never going to be easy."

"I think she gets enough of you," Gloria said generously. "We all do. You give, and give, and give. You never seem to stop and we're all so lucky to have you."

"I try to be a good mother to them," Galina said, looking suddenly shy. "And I want to be good to you too."

"You are," Gloria said. "You don't give yourself nearly enough credit. I can't imagine having four babies, essentially one after another, with a husband who didn't help at all."

"It wasn't easy," Galina admitted.

"I know it wasn't," Gloria replied. "Especially when I imagine you nursing a baby in bed all through the night and then waking up to take care of three more, with a husband complaining you aren't doing enough for him. I'd lose my mind. You can't do everything."

"I try to," Galina admitted wryly.

"I know you try," Gloria smiled. "And you get pretty close, if you ask me. I'll never stop calling Dmitri a fool for not realizing how good he had it with you."

"He was a nightmare to deal with today," Galina shared, lifting her chin up and rolling her eyes dramatically. "I would have been better off working alone. All he did was sit around in a booth and complain to me about his life like I'm supposed to care."

"Babe, I still can't believe you went to work today," Gloria groaned. "You got up with Benny like three times last night. I can't believe you're still standing."

"And you were up at least another four," Galina reminded her. "He's not a sleeper, this guy. I'm not going to make you do that all by yourself."

"Well, if I had known you were going to work today, I would have insisted," Gloria replied. "You can't keep going at the rate you are."

"I know," Galina nodded her head. "But I've got the entire weekend off, so I can catch up on some sleep then."

"How did Dmitri take that when you told him?" Gloria asked.

"He agreed to let me off," Galina replied. "But the way he said it, you would think he just pulled me out of a burning building. Anyway, Norma and Gina promised to keep everything under control for me."

"Of course, they will," Gloria said impatiently. "You can trust them."

"I don't like taking time off though," Galina replied. "It stresses me out more than just staying there to do the job myself."

"All the more reason to go into the city with the kids for a couple days," Gloria pressed. "Put some distance between this place and you so you can disengage for a bit. The kids would love some time away with you. They've been very patient ever since the baby was born."

"They have," Galina agreed. "And it would be nice…it's such a long drive to do both ways in the same day."

"And why rush back when you know Dmitri is just going to try and get you to cover for him the second he gets word about you being back in town?" Gloria added.

"I know," Galina sighed. She smiled at Benny who was finally beginning to fall back asleep. His tiny eyes were shut but he kept flickering them back open to stare at her. Galina pressed her finger against his palm and the baby automatically wrapped his hand around it.

"I'd feel better about leaving when he got older," she confessed. "I never left my own babies this young."

"I'm his mother," Gloria reminded her unnecessarily. "We'll be perfectly fine."

"I know," Galina replied. "I'll just miss you, is all. You know I have a hard enough time leaving you both to go to work. Being in the city so far away is going to drive me nuts. Would you like me to take Julio to the city so that you will only have the baby to worry about?"

"No," Gloria laughed. "Honey, please. I just want you to take your four and enjoy some time away together. Get a night of uninterrupted sleep for a change."

"Okay," Galina said complacently. She held out her hands for Benny. "Do you want me to try putting him back in the bassinet now? He seems to be as asleep as he will ever be."

Gloria nodded and carefully passed him off, holding her breath as she watched him twitch.

"If he wakes up again, I'm going to cry," she confessed.

"If he does, I'll sleep for a couple of hours and then take over for you," Galina promised. She stood up very carefully, with the baby cradled in her arms, and went to lay him down in his own bed. She made shushing sounds and slipped her hands out from under him very slowly. Benny shifted a little bit but seemed to be staying asleep, at least for now.

Gloria held the blankets up again for Galina to slide back underneath them with her. She reached for her hand and brought it to her mouth for a kiss. "I grow more in love with you every single day," she murmured, quietly under her breath.

In the semi-darkness, Galina smiled and tucked Gloria's hair back. "And I am so in love with you," she assured her. "Let's both try to get some sleep while he's letting us."

"He's the boss," Gloria heaved. She touched Galina's face with her fingertips until she found her lips and then guided her mouth closer to kiss her. "Goodnight, my love," she whispered. "I'm sure we'll have the chance to do that several more times before morning."

She wasn't wrong…

Gloria managed to get about twenty minutes of sleep before Benny started to fuss again. It was frustrating, but par for the course when you have a newborn baby in the house. Reluctantly, Gloria forced her heavy eyes to open and wriggled over to the edge of the bed. Galina was holding her hand and Gloria pulled away as gently as she could, so that she wouldn't wake her up.

"Shush, sweetheart," she whispered, climbing out of the bed carefully and looking into the bassinet. She slipped her hands underneath her baby and picked him up, watching Benny's cries immediately cease. "What's with all the drama tonight, little guy?"

Still drowsy with sleep, Gloria was afraid to lay down with him in the bed but it was obvious that Benny would accept nothing less than cuddles right now. He was settled in her arms but his eyes were open and he was watching her closely, like he was daring her to just try to put him back in his bed alone again.

"Let's go for a little walk down the hall, you and me," Gloria sighed, "You need to let Galina sleep in peace for a change." She stared mournfully back at her bed, wanting nothing more than to climb back in and sleep in Galina's arms, but that clearly wasn't going to be in the cards for tonight.

"Do you want milk, papi?" Gloria asked. She slipped her feet into a pair of Galina's slippers and then walked down the darkened hall towards the kitchen. On her way, she stopped to check in on Julio, who was sleeping angelically just as Galina had confirmed.

Gloria sighed again. She felt a pang in her heart suddenly from missing Julio, even though he hadn't gone anywhere. It was just that caring for Benny was such a demanding job right now and there literally was no extra time in her days anymore. A few minutes alone with Julio these days was a luxury and it wasn't near enough. With one hand, Gloria pulled up the comforter he had kicked off and tucked it around him.

With such a passion for feeding people, Galina poured the same love into Benny's bottles as she did to the family's home cooked meals. She did them at the same time everyday, boiling water in a big pot on the stove and then adding the powdered formula to it with precise measurements. She had cleared off an entire shelf in the door of the fridge for the bottles, and Gloria never had to do more than warm one up when Benny started fussing.

"Yeah, I know you want this," Gloria told him. "I hear you loud and clear, my dear. But you making noise is not going to warm this bottle up any faster, you know?"

She set the bottle in a bowl of hot water and then began walking the floor, rocking, and singing quietly to help Benny learn the art of patience. It wasn't easy and by the time his milk was ready, he had started to cry loudly again. Gloria couldn't help but roll her eyes as she carried him into the living room to be fed.

She picked up her cell phone from the mantel where she left it to charge, and then settled back into the comfortable pillows on the couch. Benny was rooting frantically for his bottle and as soon as she stuck the nipple in his mouth, began to make loud slurping noises that always made her laugh. She and Galina both thought he sounded like a baby goat when he ate.

"_Give me a call when you get this." _

Gloria frowned as she checked her phone and saw the abrupt message from Lourdes. They had spoken on the phone just yesterday and nothing had been amiss then. Her aunt had gone back to Florida as soon as the weather had cleared at Christmas, and though she was eager to see the baby, she had no immediate plans for another visit. Gloria pursed her lips as she considered that the time was past midnight. Lourdes would surely be asleep already, but it was also she who had told Gloria to call and made her so curious.

Gloria dialed her aunt and then turned to look back at Benny, who was sucking his bottle contentedly and had his eyes glued on her. The phone rang several times and was about to go to voicemail when it was answered. Still, nobody said anything on the other end.

"Hello?" Gloria said.

"_Mmm...Gloria?" _her aunt said groggily into the phone. She clearly had been asleep and still hadn't entirely woken up.

"Yeah," Gloria answered. "I know it's late but I just saw your text telling me to call."

"_You could have waited for morning," _Lourdes said, yawning loudly into the phone.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't have been able to sleep wondering what it was you wanted to tell me," Gloria replied.

"_I almost couldn't fall asleep tonight either," _Lourdes replied. _"Not after wasting another hour of my life having a conversation with your not-yet-ex-husband." _

Gloria sucked in her breath and her body stiffened, an act that annoyed Benny who protested loudly at how he was being held until Gloria loosened her grip slightly. Then he went back to suckling his bottle in peace. Gloria's mind was suddenly a blur of panicked thoughts she'd been too tired to stress about before. _Did Arturo somehow find out about the baby? Was he still mad? Was he still trying to find her?_

"What did he say?" Gloria asked nervously.

"_To tell me he still loved you," _Lourdes said bitterly, as though repeating those words left a bad taste in her mouth. _"He kept going on about how he's changed and just needs one more chance to show you. Said he is working really hard at a steady job, for a change, and that he will give you and Julio a good life…"_

"Just me and Julio?" Gloria repeated, her relief evident in her tone. Arturo did not know about the baby. She had kept the father's name off of the birth certificate and everything was still as should be. Legally, she was her son's only parent and if she was going to share the act of raising him with anybody, it was going to be Galina.

"So, what did you say back?" Gloria asked.

"_I told him to fuck off_," Lourdes said, surprising Gloria with the passion with which she spoke. She didn't usually use such colourful language.

"I imagine he didn't take that well," Gloria said dryly.

"_Not in the least_," Lourdes said proudly. _"I told him if he was any man at all he would stop fucking around with those divorce papers and just sign them. It's the least he could do for you." _

"I agree," said Gloria. "But he hasn't. And if he won't, I am going to have to go to court to get a divorce and I am not up for that right now."

"_I spoke with the church, and Father Leo doesn't think you will have any problem obtaining an annulment," _Lourdes informed her. _"Not that it will do you much good if you're still romantically involved with a woman...I left that part out when I was speaking with Father, by the way." _

"Probably best that you did," Gloria couldn't resist a smile. Father Leo was the older priest at Lourdes' church, who gave terrifying sermons that always made Gloria feel like she was being damned to hell, even when she wasn't doing anything. Ironically, her aunt adored him and it did not surprise Gloria in the least that Lourdes had gone to him for counsel. Gloria didn't even want to imagine his reaction if Lourdes had let it slip that she was living with another woman and was quite grateful that man lives all the way in Florida.

"_You should still see about getting granted an annulment anyway," _Lourdes advised. _"I told Arturo you were going to do that because I thought it might light a fire under his ass to stop stalling and sign the papers." _

"One can dream," Gloria sighed. "Galina and Dmitri's divorce took like ten seconds to complete, but I guess that's the difference when both parties _want _the divorce."

"_I thought you told me she was upset about her divorce,_" Lourdes interjected. _"She tried to change his mind in the beginning also, did she not?"_

"Yeah, but that's before she realized she could have me," Gloria smirked. "Once I professed my love and she realized her feelings were reciprocated, she never looked back."

"_Honestly, Gloria…" _Lourdes scoffed. Her bashfulness on the subject of her niece's relationship made Gloria laugh loudly.

"What?" Gloria teased her. "Can't I brag about having the best girlfriend ever? You know she's been taking such good care of me since Benny and I came home. And after my caesarean, she never left my side and stayed up all night caring for the baby until I could."

"_Yes, she's lovely_," Lourdes admitted. _"She took me showing up on her doorstep and overstaying my welcome by nearly a week better than most would." _

"I think she misses you," Gloria lied. She set the finished bottle on the table beside her and then held the phone between her ear and shoulder, so that she could pick Benny up to be burped.

"_Well, I want to come back and visit soon," _Lourdes said. _"Meet Benny, of course, and get to see everyone else again. How is Daya doing?"_

"Daya?" Gloria repeated, as Benny belched loudly and then nestled against her shoulder. She was surprised her aunt was even asking about Daya. The subject of a teenage girl being pushed to adopt out her baby hit a little too close to home for them, and Lourdes had been uncomfortable about the entire situation when she'd been here.

"She's doing okay," Gloria said, curving her hand around her phone again as she held it to her ear. "She hasn't seen the baby since they left the hospital but she's been getting lots of photos. I think she is as okay as can be expected. Maxim actually asked her to the school dance coming up. I didn't even give him the idea…"

"_Maybe he just likes her," _Lourdes said.

"I never got an impression that he liked her more than a friend," Gloria said honestly. "But he's a nice boy and I'm glad she is getting a chance to go. That's more than I ever got."

"_What is that supposed to mean?" _Lourdes asked.

"Well, my high school dating life was a little bit strained after being the pregnant girl all through my sophomore year," Gloria said matter-of-factly. "After that, the only boys who wanted to date me were the ones who just presumed I was easy and would put out for them."

"_You never told me that," _Lourdes said softly.

"No, I didn't," Gloria agreed. "Because the truth is, a lot of the times I _did _put out...anything for a temporary distraction, back in those days."

"_You really suffered, didn't you?" _Lourdes asked.

"Yes," Gloria said. It was the truth. She had suffered. She had gone to sleep so many nights with an aching in her heart from longing to hold children she had signed away her rights to. She had done that because her aunt had told her to, and because she was a stupid kid, back then, who had no clue what she was doing.

"_I never should have pushed you into giving up those babies, Gloria," _Lourdes said apologetically._ "That wasn't my place."_

Gloria sighed, and hugged Benny a little more tightly to her. "I know you were trying to do what was best for me," she said quietly. "And Daya...I didn't want her to have to give her baby up, but she is still a little girl and making her raise a baby right now would just be so sad, even if the alternative is heartbreaking too."

"_I didn't want you to have to grow up so fast," _Lourdes said. _"I thought this would be the best-case scenario for all of us. The baby would have a good life and you wouldn't have to give up your life for a baby at fifteen." _

"I mean, I know I didn't make it easy for you," Gloria replied. "You had your own kids and me just kind of thrusted on you…"

"_It was an honour," _Lourdes interrupted. _"I took you in because I wanted to." _

"I always felt like I was in your way," Gloria said softly.

"_I never wanted it to be like that," _Lourdes sighed. _"I wish I had done a better job of showing you just how cherished and adored you've always been by me. Maybe then you wouldn't have been in such a hurry to leave home and marry a man like Arturo in the first place." _

"You're not why I married Arturo," Gloria reassured her. "I married him because I wanted to and because there was a time when he treated me good."

"_A very short-lived time," _Lourdes commented.

"Tia," Gloria reprimanded lightly. "Do you think Arturo will call you again? You didn't make him cry too badly, I hope."

"_No more than he deserved," _Lourdes said triumphantly. _"But I'm not sure if anything I said did a lick of good. He agreed to leave you alone, not that he has any choice considering I won't tell him where you are, but he didn't say he would sign the divorce papers." _

"If I have to go to court, eventually, I will," Gloria said firmly. "Someday, come hell or high water, I'll get my divorce."

"_I know you will," _Lourdes said supportively.

"And, when that day comes, if I ask Galina to marry me, will you come to our wedding?" Gloria asked.

She pressed her lips to Benny's head in a kiss and closed her eyes. She didn't know exactly what had possessed her to ask that question. She had no idea what Galina even thought about marriage and if it was something she would ever want. They had never discussed it, but suddenly, it became imperative to Gloria to find out if her aunt would ever grant them her approval.

"_Oh, Florescita," _Lourdes sighed. _"I'll be in the very first row." _

**Thank you for reading! Next chapter will be Red & Nicky centric, on their mother/daughter trip to NYC. **


	21. Chapter 21

It was very early in the morning and Galina was humming a lullaby as she put the finishing touches on a stack of western sandwiches. She had made them all using just one of her hands, while she cuddled Benny in her other arm and put him down only when necessary. She had been singing to him all morning and soaking up the sweet baby scent of his head, while silently congratulating herself on having enough foresight to go to bed early and save the rest of her chores for the morning. Benny had woken her up before four am and still showed no signs of being ready to fall back asleep.

"Here you go, my darling," she said, gently settling Benny into the swing she had brought into the kitchen to contain him. He immediately screamed out in displeasure, but Galina ignored this and finished buckling him in.

"What a big mouth for such a little boy," she proclaimed, turning the dial onto the lowest setting to make the swing go.

Now, with both hands at her service, she pulled open her cupboard under the sink and pulled out a roll of tin foil. As she began to wrap up each sandwich, she tried to sing over the noise of Benny crying but soon gave it up and just concentrated on completing her task as quickly as possible. The packed the five wrapped sandwiches into a thermos bag that would keep them warm, grabbed five yogurt containers from the refrigerator, and then counted out five spoons.

From making countless trips into the city with her brood, she had learned the smoothest way to travel was to get them on the road early and catch the morning train. This entailed feeding them breakfast on the go and minimized the amount of pit stops they needed to take. Getting off the highway for breakfast always delayed them by at least an hour.

"You don't want to give up, do you, my love?" Galina sighed. She dampened a rag so that she could wipe the crumbs off of the counter. Then she returned her condiments and carton of eggs to the refrigerator, and pulled out a bottle from the door before she closed it.

"Yes, this is for you," she assured Benny, over his wailing. She picked up a large measuring cup and filled it with hot water from the tap before plopping the bottle inside it to warm.

"Few more minutes," she sang, proceeding to fill up the sink so that she could quickly wash the few dishes she had created preparing breakfast.

"The sun isn't even up yet!" Nicky groaned loudly, walking into the kitchen looking bleary eyed and with her hair a mess.

"You're telling me that?" Galina asked sarcastically, pointing a finger covered with soap suds out the window. "You can see the sun rising over the trees if you go stand on the porch."

"I prefer not to be awake until the sun is completely out," Nicky replied. She walked over and laid the weight of her head down on her mother's shoulder. "The baby woke me up," she whimpered.

"Join the club," Galina said, "but I was just about to come wake you anyway. You slept through your alarm."

"I didn't set one," Nicky told her. "I like the way you stroke my hair when you come get me up," she kissed her mother's shoulder affectionately.

Galina couldn't resist a small smile, and didn't have the heart to tell her daughter that the way she was leaning on her made it very difficult for her to wash the dishes. She managed them anyway, though. Working as fast as one person could work. Since Benny was as upset as ever and she hated to hear him cry.

"Of course, if I had known this was the wake up, I was going to receive, I probably would have just set my alarm clock like the boys," Nicky added. She shot Benny a tired look and then reached down to tickle his tiny foot.

"What's the problem, little man?" she asked him.

"He just wants to be held," Galina said, switching on the tap so that she could rinse the soap from her dishes. "Why don't you pick him up?"

"Me?" Nicky asked, looking shocked.

"Why not you?" Galina asked. "You could feed him his bottle."

"Last time I did that he threw up all over me," Nicky replied, wrinkling her nose at the memory. "I'll finish the dishes for you, mama, if you have to feed him."

"Too late, they're done," said Galina, wiping her hands on the front of the apron she had tied over the grey knee-length skirt she had chosen for the day. She took the bottle out of the measuring cup and tested the temperature of the formula on her wrist.

"Come here, honey," she sighed, unbuckling Benny and taking him into her arms at once. He ceased crying immediately, the dramatic baby that he was. His eyes were fixated on the bottle she was holding and he started opening and closing his mouth at once, looking like something of a baby bird.

Galina took a seat at the table and stuck the nipple of the bottle into Benny's eager mouth. He drank eagerly, his gulps and little grunts of pleasure emanating around the otherwise quiet kitchen. Galina looked down at his fondly for a moment, but then as she did her eyes began to close and her head rolled forward slightly.

"Mama?" Immediately her head shot back up and her blue eyes blinked rapidly, as she turned to stare at Nicky.

"Yes?" she yawned.

"Well, I was going to ask if you wanted me to make your coffee for you," Nicky said, "but I think that answers my question. You going to be okay to drive?"

"Oh, yes," Galina nodded. "I'll get a second wind in a few minutes. The coffee will help-I'll drink it in the car."

"I'm guessing his highness hasn't let you sleep much tonight?" Nicky guessed correctly. She walked over to the coffee maker and pushed the buttons for it to make a pot.

"I still can't get over the set of lungs on him," she added, opening the cupboard and standing on tiptoe to fetch the travel mug her mother used for coffee on the road. "If I didn't know better, I'd have thought that somebody was having an exorcist in here."

"Would you be surprised to hear that you were even louder?" her mother asked. She set the bottle on the table and then placed Benny over her shoulder for a burp. Though he shrieked and protested at the indignity of having his breakfast interrupted, after a few firm pats to his back he let out a loud belch.

"He's kind of gross," Nicky observed. She tore off a piece of paper towel and then walked over to dab at the back of her mother's shirt. "And he spit up a bit too. Like I knew he would."

"That's alright," Galina said, laying Benny back down in her arms and offering his bottle back. "Maxim had reflux. He threw up after every feeding for the longest time. I never went anywhere without a change of clothes for myself."

"I think the real surprise is that you kept having more of us," Nicky said honestly, "But look how good I am to you now."

"I suppose I'll keep you," her mother teased, as Nicky finished wiping the spit up off her blouse and went to throw the soiled paper towel into the garbage. "And I'm so happy we're going away for the weekend together."

It was the truth. In the month since Benny's arrival she had lost more sleep than she could count, which had made her short-tempered and more disconnected from her own children. She felt like she'd been walking around in a trance, going through the motions of her days, but not entirely present. It had been the right call to plan this weekend away.

"I'll let you sleep in tomorrow," Nicky promised. "And we can order room service for breakfast…" she trailed off and her lower lip puckered out in a pout. "I just wish we weren't bringing the boys with us…"

"We can ditch them at the mall," Galina told her with a wink, "I hardly think your brothers will have much interest in dresses." She clicked her tongue as Benny finally finished the last drops of his bottle. She set it on the table and then put him over her shoulder again for another burp. Only this time, Nicky was ready for him, and stuck another strip of paper towel under his chin to absorb any spit up.

"Thank you, love," Galina said, standing back up and carrying the bottle over to sink. "Now why don't you run along and get dressed. We need to go soon."

"Can't I just stay in what I have on?" Nicky asked, looking down at herself. She was wearing a pair of blue plaid flannel pajama pants and a white tank top. The right knee had a hole in it. She knew the answer before her mother even spoke.

"You can't go out in public like that," Galina told her.

"It's a long drive," Nicky bartered. "I can change before we get on the train."

"No, you cannot," Galina replied. "Those clothes are only meant to be worn to bed."

"Even if I'm planning to crash as soon as we get in the car?" Nicky asked. "I just want to be comfy…"

Galina shook her head and tapped Nicky firmly on the nose. "Go get dressed," she commanded. "And tell your brothers to get out here too."

"I'm already here!" Vasily announced, walking into the kitchen looking as bright eyed as ever. He was already dressed, wearing a pair of blue jeans, T-shirt, and pull over hoodie that had been picked out the previous night.

"Hey, buddy," Vasily grinned at Benny, who cooed loudly at the sight of him. Then he looked up at his mother. "Did you remember to put the DVD player in the car for me?"

"No, you can do that yourself," Galina replied. She motioned to the thermal bag on the counter that held their sandwiches and yogurt. "Take that to the car with you but make sure you put it in the front." The trunk of her car was already filled with everyone's bags, which she had made them pack the previous night.

"Go, Nicky," Galina shooed her daughter out of the kitchen. "Get dressed and come right back. Make sure Yuri didn't try to fall back asleep."

"Yuri's in the shower," Vasily said, slinging the bag over his shoulder on his way out of the room.

"The shower?" Galina frowned. "Why is he in the shower? I told you all to shower last night."

"I don't know, but that's where he is," Vasily shrugged.

"Honestly," Galina huffed. Still holding Benny, she followed Nicky down the hall. Sure enough, she could hear water running in the bathroom and the door was locked. She knocked on it loudly. "Hurry up in there," she called.

"Yeah, Ma," came the muffled reply. Galina rolled her eyes and walked into her sons' bedroom. Maxim was lying in bed with his eyes closed.

"Honey," Galina called.

"I'm awake," Maxim replied, with his eyes still firmly closed. "All I have left to do is brush my teeth, but Yuri locked me out of the bathroom."

"You're dressed?" Galina asked. Maxim sighed and kicked off his blanket to show that he was indeed dressed to leave. His mother nodded approvingly and turned to leave.

"As soon as your teeth are brushed go out to the car," she instructed over her shoulder. "And don't forget to make your bed."

As she walked down the hall to her own bedroom, she rained kisses all over the top of Benny's head and nestled him closer to her. Even the prospect of an uninterrupted night of sleep couldn't keep her from already missing him. She sighed as she slipped through the partially opened door and smiled at the sight of Gloria and Julio curled up in the bed together. Julio often

found his way into their bed at some point during the night and his brother's noise never seemed to be a deterrent.

"Gloria," Galina whispered softly. She didn't want to wake up Julio, but she had to pass Benny off so that she could leave. She had done all of the wake-ups with him through the night, wanting to soak up as much of him as she could before her trip. It made her feel more okay about going, knowing that she had a least given Gloria a good night's sleep before leaving her alone.

"Gloria," she repeated, reaching a hand out and shaking her shoulder roughly.

"Mmm," Gloria groaned, rolling away from the offensive shake and moving closer to Julio.

"Honey, you have to wake up." Galina sighed, brushing her lips over Benny's chubby little cheeks.

Gloria reluctantly rolled back to face her and opened her eyes partially. "What?" she asked her sleepily.

"I'm leaving now," Galina explained apologetically, sitting down on the edge of the bed and holding Benny in a sitting position on her lap.

"Already?" Gloria yawned. "What time is it?"

"Almost seven," Galina answered. She had her hand curved around Benny's torso for support and smiled as he brought his hand over to touch the bangle bracelet on her wrist that had caught his eye.

"This little guy has been up since four-thirty, so he should be ready for more sleep soon," Galina said, shaking her wrist slightly to amuse the baby.

"Yes, you should be tired," Gloria said to Benny, using her arms to push herself up into a sitting position. "Although, I'd be naive to not know that you're going to fight sleep with everything you've got, huh?"

"Probably," Galina smiled, as she began to unfasten the snaps on his blue fleece sleeper that was soiled from drool and spit-up milk. "Nicky said that it sounded like someone was performing an exorcism in the kitchen this morning."

"I didn't even hear a thing," Gloria said apologetically.

"I was hoping you wouldn't," Galina said, standing up once she had stripped Benny down to his diaper. Though the changing table was in the boys' bedroom, they kept a basket of supplies on her dresser as well.

"Put him in the one that makes him look like a duck," Gloria giggled, watching from the bed as Galina searched for something to dress him in.

"Who got him this one again?" Galina asked, pulling the yellow sleeper from the pile. It had a hood with an exaggerated orange beak and even two blue eyes stitched in. It was adorable.

"Norma," Gloria laughed. "I really can't with her."

His mother's laughter was like music to Benny's ears and he was gurgling back in response as Galina laid him on top of a receiving blanket on the bed, so that she could change his diaper and dress him up like a baby duckling.

"Now, you are a perfect example of why people look at babies and say they just want to eat them up!" Gloria cooed to her son. Since her incision was still tender, she waited for Galina to pick Benny up and hand him to her, rather than bend herself. She tried to avoid doing anything to aggravate her condition if she could help it.

"Animal costumes," Galina exclaimed. "Maybe that is what has been missing? If we dress him up like baby animals all the time, maybe we will be too busy obsessing over how cute he is to think about how he is the reason we never sleep anymore."

"You mean _you _never sleep?" Gloria shook her head. "I cannot believe I slept through all of that, babe. Seriously, next time just wake me. How are you supposed to keep up with your four in the city after being up with the baby all night?"

"I'll make up for it tonight," Galina shrugged indifferently. "I don't really mind...it was kind of nice to get some extra cuddles in since I'm not going to see him for two whole days."

"You don't really expect me to believe that, do you?" Gloria raised her eyebrows. "Nobody considers being kept up all night by a baby evidently allergic to sleep to be 'nice'."

"Well…" Galina said, reaching a hand up to cup Gloria's face, she leaned in for a kiss. "I'm staying in a pretty nice hotel suite tonight to make up for it."

"I'm jealous," Gloria said, her eyes twinkling. "Maybe I can go next time..."

"Ma!" Maxim called walking down the hall. "What are you doing? We're all waiting in the car. And Yuri and Nicky are already fighting!"

"Coming," Galina called back. She leaned in for another kiss just as Maxim stepped into the bedroom. If it made him uncomfortable, he showed no flicker of a reaction.

"Have fun, Max," Gloria smiled at him. "I told your mom to make sure to be extra generous this trip. You guys deserve it."

"Now, Gloria, if it were up to you, you know that you'd have my kids completely spoiled," Galina said. She stroked the top of Benny's head and gave the sleeping Julio a final look before standing up.

"What's wrong with that?" Maxim asked, as his mother walked over to him by the door.

"That's what I said," Gloria laughed. "Good luck with that. Have a safe drive."

"I'll call you tonight," Galina said, before following Maxim through the house and outside to her car, where she saw Yuri standing in the grass looking angry, while Nicky stubbornly sat in the passenger seat with her seat belt on and her arms crossed stubbornly over her chest. Vasily was in the back seat with his eyes glued on the screen of his DVD player, looking completely oblivious to his brother and sister's fighting.

"C'mon Nicky," Yuri groaned, "Move."

"You can keep repeating yourself all you want," Nicky told him. "But I'm not moving."

"It's my turn," Yuri protested.

"First come, first serve," Nicky taunted him. "Maybe you should have showered last night when Mama told you to instead of waiting until the morning…"

"Seriously, Nicky," Yuri sighed, he caught sight of his approaching mother and looked at her pleadingly for help. "My legs get cramped when I sit in the back."

"You're not even very tall," Galina pointed out, placing her hand gently around his waist. "You're sort of stooped like your father, Vasily is the only one of you that might get some height on him. I don't know yet, since he's not finished growing."

"Was that necessary?" Yuri blinked down at her, while Nicky roared with laughter from her prime seating. "You could have just said nothing…"

"But you, missy," Galina turned her eyes to stare sternly at Nicky. "I think you just like to cause conflict."

"No, Mama," Nicky shook her head and did her best to try and look innocent. "I just want to be close to you…"

"Didn't you say that you were just going to sleep the entire drive anyway?" Galina asked, walking around to the driver's side and settling into her own seat. "I need someone beside me who is going to keep me entertained and awake."

"I changed my mind," Nicky informed her. "I want to talk to you. And look, I even remembered your coffee." She motioned with her hand to the travel mug in the cup holder waiting for her.

"Ma…" Yuri sighed, but she just flashed him an apologetic smile and turned the key in the ignition signaling this conversation was over.

"Vasily, you have the food?" Galina asked, staring at him in her rear-view mirror.

"Yep," Vasily replied, his eyes still fixated to the screen. He had the bag set at his feet and leaned forward to rummage through it without looking down. While Yuri resigned himself to squeeze into the backseat beside Maxim, Vasily passed around all of the breakfast sandwiches, which were still blessedly warm.

"Yum!" Nicky said appreciatively. She kicked off her shoes and crossed her legs up on the seat. Her sandwich was unwrapped over her lap when she picked it up to take a big hearty bite.

Galina caught her eye as she backed the car up to begin the trek down their long driveway. It had been the right decision to do this. Even if she was tired, the kids were already bickering, and they had a long day ahead of them in the car, and later on the train. Her four children had been through a lot of difficult changes recently and she thought time away with just her would bring the focus back around to them. With two new little ones in the house, she often felt guilty for taking time away from her own children. She wanted these next two days to be all about prioritizing them.

"I wish we could have picked up the new car already," Maxim complained. While Vasily watched the movie streaming from the DVD player fastened around his mother's headrest, and Yuri stared out the window at the forest of trees down the dirt road they lived on, Maxim sat in the middle, struggling to eat his breakfast without bumping them with his elbows.

"Van, not car," Vasily corrected him.

Galina rolled her eyes at the dramatics. She had been driving this same car since around the time that Maxim had been born, and had always liked it. Even once she had two more children and filled it to maximum capacity, which meant that Dmitri had always needed to drive himself whenever they went places as a family, she had never really minded. It was a cute and reliable little car that always had gotten them where they needed to go, and she had never wanted to spend more money on an upgrade when she could have sooner put that money into her house or her business.

"_Van not car,_" Nicky mimicked him, turning to stare out the window. "Who even cares?"

"I care!" Vasily replied automatically, but Nicky was no longer paying any attention. She tapped her finger against the window and laughed loudly as they drove past Sam and Katya Healy's' house, where Lida lived.

"Ha! Did you see that?" she chuckled, turning around in her seat to stare back at Yuri.

"Yeah," Yuri grinned back, their squabble from a few minutes ago seemed forgotten. "That looked like it hurt."

"What?" Galina asked.

"Mr. Healy, Ma," Nicky explained, turning back to face the front. She was still laughing silently to herself. "I just saw him fall in a hole."

Galina raised her eyebrows. "He fell in a hole?"

"More like tripped," Yuri shared. "He got up right away but he looked mad, like he was cursing."

"It was hilarious," Nicky jeered. "he was just strolling along and then he wiped out!"

"And that pleases you?" Galina asked with a wry smile.

"Well, it was funny," Nicky replied. "Lida's new dog probably dug it. She said Healy was complaining about it tearing up the yard since she got it."

"I'd believe it," Galina rolled her eyes. "It did the same thing behind our house when she brought it over the other day."

"He only got her the dog because he thought it would make her like him more," Vasily announced. "But Lida still doesn't like him much, she said. She only likes the dog."

"Kind of harsh," Galina replied, pursing her lips slightly as she felt a pang of sympathy for her good friend. All Sam really wanted was a family but he wasn't very good at it. Katya acted like he didn't exist except to pay her bills, most of the time, and Lida had always preferred to come hang out at the Reznikov house than to be around him.

"I wish we could have taken the truck today, Ma," Maxim sighed. "The backseat in that is about twice as wide and he probably would have let you borrow it, if you asked."

"Are you through?" Galina rolled her eyes as she glanced back at her children in the rear-view mirror. "I pick up the new van on Tuesday, so I think you can all survive until then."

She had gone out by herself a couple of weeks after Benny was born, and purchased a van from the local dealership. Now that her family had stretched to include Gloria and the boys, it made no sense to hold onto such an impractical vehicle. She needed something that would fit them all. She was sick of installing and then uninstalling car seats for Gloria's boys, or having to schedule running errands around when nobody else would need a ride. Her kids got by on their bicycles most of the year, but it would be a thrill to be able to pack everyone up next winter and go in search of a change of scenery when they got too stir-crazy.

"And then is Pop going to sell this car for you, Mama?" Vasily asked curiously. "Because I want to be there."

"Well…." Galina sighed dramatically. "I suppose that will have to depend…"

"On what?" asked Nicky. She turned around once again and this time was reaching into the bag at Vasily's feet, in search of a container of yogurt.

"On whether your brother ever clues into the fact that he has his driver's permit, and yet he is letting me get rid of a perfectly good car."

"Me?" Yuri asked, his face shifting from confusion to amazement.

"That's what I was thinking…" Galina said calmly.

Nicky sat back in her seat with her yogurt and a spoon on her lap. "But Ma…" she began to protest.

"Insurance, gas, oil changes," Galina listed off, speaking over her daughter, "If you can pay for those yourself than you can have the car. You're almost old enough to drive all on your own, which will only be convenient for me. You can help me run errands."

"You can be my chauffeur!" Nicky proclaimed, resigning herself to the fact that her mother's mind was clearly already made up. "Drive me and my friends around on Saturday nights!"

"Forget it," Yuri told her. "If bikes were good enough for me and Joel all this time, then they're good enough for you and Lorna."

"Alex," Nicky corrected. "Lorna would rather sit up front with you and pretend you're on a date...and frankly, I'm okay with that."

"Ohhhh," Yuri huffed. "So, the backseat is good enough for you when you get to sit beside Alex?"

"Just don't turn around," Nicky advised him. "You might see things that you don't like."

"Oh, Nicky," Galina shook her head.

Sometimes she was truly at a loss for words. Not because she was bothered, but because she didn't exactly know what she was to say in these situations. Since overcoming her initial shyness on the subject, Nicky had become blunter and more honest about her intentions and emotions. It wasn't even just being completely open about the fact that the dance with Alex was a date, Nicky also dropped little comments in wherever she could, making it abundantly apparent that this wasn't just friends and that everyone better get used to it. The only person she appeared to show any restraint around these days, was her father, who still hadn't been able to bring himself to discuss it with her.

"Lorna still likes me?" Yuri asked, looking both exasperated and pleased.

"Allegedly," Nicky said indifferently, peeling back the wrapper on her yogurt container. She tossed it into the portable garbage pail at her feet, and then sunk her spoon into the strawberry goodness.

"Did you tell her that I am going to the dance with Anna?" Yuri asked.

"Yeah," Nicky said sarcastically, bringing her spoon to her lips and licking it clean. "Because I have nothing better to talk about with my friends, than my brother."

"Never stopped you before," Yuri replied.

"So, what happens in a year when I get to drive?" Maxim asked, leaning as far forward in his seat as he could and tapping his mother's shoulder.

"Uh, you share?" Galina replied skeptically.

"No way," Yuri protested.

"If it is going to be a problem, I'll just give the car to Gloria instead so that we don't have these arguments," Galina said sternly.

"No," Yuri said quickly.

"Well, then…." Yuri dropped his head back and sighed. In such a large family, nothing was ever really as it seemed, and it was rare in his life that he ever received anything that was entirely his. His younger siblings had always gotten into his stuff and generally been pests, and even when he was given something on his own, once they got a little older, they generally wanted in on it.

"Oh, cheer up, honey_," _Galina soothed. "Can we not cross that bridge when we come to it? Your father might be able to find a cheap car to buy when Maxim is ready to drive also...it's one of the few things Papa is actually good at."

"What about _me, _Mama?" Nicky pressed, scraping her spoon against the side of her yogurt container.

"What about you?"

"When I turn sixteen, will you let Pop buy _me _a car?"

"First of all, we're not going to even talk about you turning sixteen," Galina told her. "I don't even want to think about you starting high school next year. Just stay my little girl for a little bit longer, okay?"

"Besides, she'd probably crash it in like two seconds," Maxim teased.

"What do you know?" Nicky said, tossing her empty yogurt container into the wastebasket. "At least I can kayak down the river without getting caught in some rapids and needing to be rescued."

"I remember that," Yuri laughed, shoving his brother playfully on the shoulder. "That was funny."

"At least mine didn't capsize like Luschek," Maxim retorted. "He fell in the water and then couldn't get back on so he just drifted until he hit shore."

"That was a good day," Galina reminisced. It had been a few summers ago and she had taken her kids and some of their friends kayaking down the river just outside their town. Now her sons were older and usually more inclined to do things without her, but she still lived for those moments she was included.

"Can we do that again?" Vasily asked. "And can Lida come? She is going to ask her stepdad for a kayak on her next birthday."

"Of course," Galina replied. "We need to make a point to do things like that more often. Sometimes we get too busy, we forget. That's why this weekend is so special."

"I hope we're not going to spend the whole-time shopping though," Vasily said skeptically.

"You need some new clothes too," Galina told him. "But we're going to do stuff we all like. First, is to check into our hotel. It has a pool. We can all go swimming. You remembered to pack your swimsuits?"

There was a chorus of yes replies, but Nicky's eyes widened. She always hated packing and had shoved things into her bag at the last minute the night before. Despite her mother's reminders, she had forgotten to pack her swimsuit. She hadn't worn it since last summer and didn't even remember where it had gone.

"Umm...I think I forgot," she confessed.

Galina scoffed. If one of them were to forget, she wasn't surprised that it was Nicky. She had almost been about to check over her packing before they left, but had been too tired, and decided that thirteen was plenty old enough to pack a suitcase for a weekend getaway. She was in too good a mood right now though to give a lecture about responsibility.

"Well, then," she said, tapping Nicky firmly on the nose in rebuke. "I suppose we're going to have to put that on our shopping list, aren't we? You probably needed a new one anyway. I think you've grown over the winter."

"Maybe…" said Nicky, who knew as well as Galina that she hadn't gone through a growth spurt of any sort in awhile. She wasn't that short, but Piper and Alex were so tall that it made her and Lorna look so tiny by comparison. And she was pretty sure she was nearly done growing. Still, it was nice to be spared a scolding for her forgetfulness.

"I love you, mama," she said, leaning over to kiss Galina's cheek. "Can I sit beside you on the train too?"

"Oh my, little love," Galina smiled, her hand pushing back the curls that had fallen into Nicky's eyes. "You are just too much."

The more she drove, the more awake she was feeling. This was rejuvenating and exactly what they all needed. She hoped that Gloria wouldn't wear herself out too much over this weekend and that Dmitri would manage to run the business without her for a couple days. It was always so hard for Galina to disconnect and just be, without thinking about all the work she should be doing instead. She was always happy once she did though, and the smiles on her children's faces, as they relaxed back on the country highway and listened to the voices from Vasily's movie, told her that they were happy too.

**Thank you for the reviews A Star in my Universe, Johanna-002, vauseandspanishharlem, and Guest. Let me know if there is someone you would like to see more of. I think this story will probably be wrapping up in a few more chapters. **


	22. Chapter 22

"Higher mommy! Higher!" Julio cried, squealing in delight when Gloria gave him her biggest push yet.

"Pump your feet though, _papi_," Gloria said, pushing him again as he swung back to her. "Don't make me do all the work!"

They had been playing outdoors for a few hours now, enjoying the late afternoon sun on one of the warmest days they had experienced that spring. Benny had, for the most part, cooperated. He had spent almost the entire time asleep, enjoying the comfortable sling Gloria was wearing him in. So long as he was against her, where he could listen to the beating of her heart and feel the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, he was content.

"Move my legs like this?" Julio asked, kicking his legs out in an awkward sort of twitch.

Gloria smiled. "Almost got it, baby!" she replied, feeling her phone vibrate in her back pocket, and pulled it out while she continued pushing Julio with a single hand.

She expected it to be Galina, only it wasn't. Galina and her kids were on their way home after a delightful two days in the city and she had sent Gloria updates along the way. They were due back in an hour or so, and while Gloria had missed her terribly, she had enjoyed some time alone with her two sons.

Benny had been doing his nights just as poorly as ever, but without the flurry of activity that usually was in the house, Gloria found it easier to do what everyone always said and sleep when the baby sleeps. She'd put a movie on in the bedroom for Julio and just snuggled beside them. That afternoon, all three of them had enjoyed a two-hour nap, which sort of helped combat the insomniac nights. Otherwise, she had been surviving on pure adrenaline and the promise Galina had made to manage Benny her entire first night back.

"_Dmitri fucked off again and left me to work all alone! It makes me almost miss your girlfriend. At least she does her job!" _

Gloria quickly read her friend's text and couldn't resist rolling her eyes, as she stepped back from the swing so that she could type out a quick reply. Aleida had been at her wits end all weekend. With Galina gone, she had needed to work full days and adjusting to having her kids back had her feeling quite overwhelmed. She'd already said multiple times that she was going to ask the social worker to take them back, if they didn't start acting right soon, but Gloria was pretty sure she was joking.

"_I miss her too," _Gloria added an emoji 'wink' and smiled as she typed. _"But don't wish her back to work any sooner than she has to. Don't you know how hard it was for me to convince her to take the weekend in the first place?"_

It was no understatement, but Galina had already said several times that it was something she needed to do more often. She and her four had been enjoying a wonderful couple of days together. Staying in a nice hotel, swimming in the pool, visiting Central Park and any other tourist sights that caught their eye. Nicky had loved shopping alone with her mom, while Galina had given the boys money to go see a movie. After all that fun, Gloria wouldn't have blamed Galina for dreading coming back; but she believed her when she said she missed home.

The sound of tires crunching over the gravel driveway made her heart flutter in her chest. She looked up from her phone as Julio asked _"Is that Mama?" _behind her. Julio was unable to keep the excitement out of his voice, although he had been refusing to speak to Galina on the phone and had been holding a grudge ever since he had woken up to discover that she had taken the older kids on a trip, without him. It was obvious that he'd missed her though.

"No, it's not her," Gloria shook her head and her brow furrowed in puzzlement. The red pickup truck approaching the house belonged to Dmitri and she couldn't remember the last time he had been here. When he wanted to talk to Galina, he waited until she came into work and he never came by to pick up or drop off the kids either. They usually went to him.

Gloria looked down sheepishly at her attire. She was still wearing the pajama bottoms she had put on last night before bed and a baggy blue hoodie. Her hair wasn't combed, and she hadn't even showered yet either. She was still supposed to have over an hour to make herself presentable, but she couldn't escape the irony that Dmitri would choose to make his first visit in months, when she was walking around looking like she was homeless.

"Push me more!" Julio pleaded.

Gloria sighed and looked back down at Benny, still tucked cozily in his sling across her body, resembling something of a baby burrito. She shoved her phone back into her pocket and then walked back around to stand behind Julio and push the swing. Her eyes were on Dmitri, watching him park his truck and slowly climb out of it.

Dmitri didn't appear to notice them. He shoved his hands into his pockets and stared up at the big yellow house for a moment. Gloria wondered if it was strange for him to see it and recognize that it wasn't really his home anymore. Even though he had been sleeping in the apartment above the restaurant since before she had come to town, Gloria had to imagine that it would be weird to officially be displaced from the house your family still lived in.

"Hi," Gloria called across the yard, waving her hand at him in greeting. Dmitri stopped staring at the house at once and turned in the direction of her voice. He seemed to hesitate for just a fraction of a moment, before he began to walk over to them.

"Good day," he said formally.

"Yes, it is," Gloria agreed. "We've been enjoying the warm weather."

"I'm swinging super high!" Julio shouted.

Dmitri gave him a faint smile. "I built this for Nicky when she was a little girl," he shared. "Right after we bought the house. It's nice to see it getting some use again, I suppose."

"I want to touch the sky!" Julio announced.

"Keep your toes pointed up and you just might," Dmitri advised. "I think you almost hit that cloud."

"I just came to get my extra helmet," he explained, turning his attention back to Gloria. "We are going to leave on an ATV tour first thing tomorrow morning."

"Whose we?" Gloria asked, tilting her head to the side and smiling at his mischievously. "You and Tammy?"

Dmitri frowned at her. "Is that a problem?" he asked defensively.

"No, of course not," Gloria replied automatically. She hadn't expected him to be so touchy with her about the subject, although she supposed that had been naive of her. "I was just wondering. Aleida said you're on the phone with her a lot."

"Aleida says a lot of things," Dmitri said vaguely.

"I suppose that's true," Gloria agreed with a smirk, patting the pocket where her phone was. "I just got a text from her complaining you skipped out again and left her to do everything."

"I'm beginning to think Galina had the right idea about her," Dmitri scoffed. "There were two tables in the restaurant and I pay her to wait tables...what more does she want from me? If I felt like being a waiter, I'd send her home and save money doing the job myself."

"It was your idea to hire her in the first place, right?" Gloria asked. "I know Galina didn't want her."

"I was trying to be nice," Dmitri nodded. "Nobody else in this town will hire her, and how is she going to take care of all those kids without a job?"

"I'm sure she appreciates it," Gloria soothed him, not knowing what else to say. She pushed the swing and noticed the way Julio was now holding his legs rigid stiff. Per Dmitri's instructions, his feet were angled at the sky and Gloria knew her son was imagining he was soaring much higher than he really was.

She was glad that Julio seemed oblivious to the tension between the two adults. Though Dmitri had been nothing but polite, Gloria could sense a coldness that hadn't been there before. He had always been very welcoming to her and seemed happy to have her around before, but that had all changed after Christmas. Once he learned through the kids that she and Galina were in a relationship, he had become increasingly more withdrawn around her. Though he'd never said anything to her about it, the silence and avoidance made her quite glad that she no longer worked at the Tavern with him.

"Does Galina know you were coming over?" Gloria asked. "She should be home soon."

"No, I was just going to grab the helmet and I'll be out of your way," Dmitri replied, already starting to retreat backwards the way he had come.

"I'll come in too," Gloria replied, reaching for the rope of Julio's swing to bring it to a halt.

"Noooo," Julio let out a long-suffering wail but Gloria silenced him with the merest flicker of a stern expression.

Dmitri moistened his lips and surveyed Gloria closely. "You have a problem with me going into the house unaccompanied?" he asked, and his Russian accent suddenly sounded even thicker, just like Galina's would get when she was angry. "You think you have more ownership over this house than me?"

"Of course not," Gloria shook her head. "I mean, you probably should let Galina know when you're coming over since you gave her the house in your divorce."

"And that is any of your business how?" Dmitri asked silkily.

Gloria huffed. "So, am I just supposed to pretend that she doesn't tell me things about her life?" she asked. "Maybe it isn't any of my business, maybe it is, but I do live here and know what's going on. The same way Tammy does, I'm sure."

Dmitri didn't respond. Without another word, he turned on his heel and began to walk back towards the house. Gloria reached for Julio's hands and helped him jump down. He broke away from her as soon as both of his feet were on the ground, and sprinted ahead. Gloria watched him catch up to Dmitri who was already at the porch, and then wrap his arms around the man's legs. Dmitri had been around Julio now for nearly a year after all, and he had always been kind to him.

"I'm not following you," Gloria said, feeling a little lightheaded when she hurried over to them. She never would have admitted it, but the strain of being on her feet for several hours now and the weight of wearing her baby in a sling, was beginning to have its toll on her. She slumped against the rail and tried to catch her breath, as her hand rested on her tender abdomen.

"Are you okay?" Dmitri asked, suddenly looking concerned. "You look a little pale."

"Yeah," Gloria panted. "I'm just going to go sit down for a minute."

She squeezed by them on the porch, and walked ahead of them in the house. It wasn't as immaculate as she had wanted it to be before Galina got home. Though she had done what she could, Julio's toys were still scattered all over the living room floor and she had to kick them out of the way as she walked over to the couch and sat down. She pulled back the Velcro on the baby carrier and slipped Benny out. He stirred as she moved him and once she had laid him down on the couch cushion beside her, his eyes were open and he was wide awake.

"Julio, why don't you start cleaning up all these toys?" Dmitri suggested gently, as they followed her into the living room. "Galina will be back soon, and you don't want her on the warpath just as soon as she walks in the door...believe me, I know."

Always such a good boy, Julio didn't kick up too much of a fuss about this. "Will you help me?" he asked sweetly, his words mostly drowned out by the ear-piercing shrieks his brother was making.

From the couch, Gloria watched Dmitri and her son tidy up the room together. She kept one hand on Benny's tummy and rubbed soothing circles, that seemed to make him even more irritated with her. Wearing him in a wrap all afternoon was apparently not enough, he wanted constant contact.

"Thank you," Gloria said, once all the toys were put away.

"You sure you're okay?" Dmitri asked again. "I didn't mean to upset you in your...in your condition."

"You didn't," Gloria replied. "If anything, I guess I should be apologizing to you. Your divorce is between the two of you, and it's not my place to say anything."

"Mommy, will you put on Blaze and the Monster Machine for me?" Julio asked eagerly.

Gloria nodded. "Where's the remote?" she asked him.

"I don't know," Julio held up his tiny hands in wonder. "You have it."

"Where did I put that?" Gloria muttered to herself. Her eyes scanned around the room and then she pulled back the throw pillows on the sofa beside her and found the remote underneath. All the while, Benny's screams rose another octave. He was turning purple with rage.

"Can you take him?" Gloria found herself asking.

"Me?" Dmitri blinked.

"Yeah," Gloria nodded her head. She pointed the remote at the television and began searching for Julio's favourite show.

"I guess," Dmitri said doubtfully. He walked over to the couch and his arms hung limply at his side. "How do I-"

"Place one hand under his head and another under his bottom," Gloria coached him. "And then just lift."

Looking as though he would rather do anything else, Dmitri obediently placed his hands beneath Benny and picked him up. He held the baby out like he was clutching a grenade, and there was a space between them, since he didn't naturally hold Benny against his chest the way a mother would. Still, being carried in any form seemed to be enough for Benny right now. He stopped crying and glared up at him. This was a new face for him to study.

"I'm just going to go put supper on," Gloria told him. Her breath was steady and she was feeling much better now that she had put the baby down. Just a little sore in her abdomen, but that was nothing she couldn't handle.

She had already seasoned the meat and cut up the vegetables, and stowed them in the fridge until she was ready to cook. The rice had been prepared earlier in the day and was being kept in a warmer. As she bustled about, getting out the frying pans and things she would need, she could hear Benny getting loud again.

"He's crying," Dmitri informed her unnecessarily, carrying the angry baby into the kitchen.

"Mhmm," Gloria murmured vaguely. He had tried to the baby back to her, but she just opened the fridge and held the bottle out to him. "Do you want to warm that up?'

"How?" he asked uncertainly.

"Just get a cup of hot water and sit it in it until it warms," Gloria instructed.

She half-expected Dmitri to grumble like a belligerent teenager or decline, but he did as she asked.

"You have to feed it to him though," Dmitri told her, turning on the faucet. "I need to get going and I don't really know how to do it."

"Sounds kind of funny, coming from a father of four," Gloria commented, taking a bowl of vegetables out of the fridge and setting it on the counter.

"Well, it's been awhile since mine were this small," he said defensively. "And when they were babies, they only ever wanted their mother. I like them better now that they are older."

"Too bad," Gloria mused, adding some olive oil to a frying pan and then dumping her colourful bowl of vegetables into it. "Julio likes you very much. I can't imagine your own children not being the same."

"Their mother wanted them all to herself," Dmitri insisted again.

Gloria didn't say anything to that but raised her eyebrows at him in disbelief. She knew enough from seeing Galina's love and attentiveness to Benny, to know that she was an amazing mother who would have loved and nurtured her children around the clock, no matter the cost to herself. She was exceptionally close to her children, but she was also a person herself with needs that had been neglected for far too long. She thought Dmitri had abused her devotion as a mother to avoid having to do his fair share. It was only natural that the children would have clung to the parent who was their constant.

"I think you can feed Benny his bottle for me," Gloria smirked, walking over to the sink to fetch it and test a few drops on her inner wrist. "I have enough faith in you to believe you can do that. Now, why don't you sit down so you'll both be more comfy?"

Dmitri sighed but again did as she asked. Gloria pulled out a chair at the kitchen table and he sat down in it. Gloria helped him guide the bottle into Benny's mouth and then stepped back to watch him eagerly drink. He was gulping down his milk at such an alarming speed, that Gloria immediately went back to the fridge to get another bottle to warm up. Her baby had a voracious appetite.

"He's pretty cute," Dmitri said, staring into Benny's big brown eyes, that looked up at him so trustingly. "My kids just complain that he cries all the time."

"He does," Gloria replied. She walked back over to the stove and stirred her vegetables around. "But we're all starting to get used to it. Now it's just background noise."

"I guess they are going to have to get used to it," Dmitri said. "They have to get used to a lot of things. Like the fact that their mother suddenly switched teams and is playing house with you and mommy to your two kids. From what Aleida tells me, this is going to be a permanent thing?"

"Does that bother you?" Gloria asked him bluntly. She turned around to face him, resting her hand holding a big wooden spoon on her hip.

"I never expected it," Dmitri admitted.

"You chose to divorce her," Gloria pointed out. "You didn't expect her to move on?"

"While the kids were still young? No," Dmitri answered. "And never with a woman. Although that certainly explains a lot."

"A lot about what?" Gloria asked. "Your marriage?"

"Now I get why our marriage never worked," Dmitri replied. "Knowing what I now know. I suppose I have you to thank for that, huh?"

"You think I turned your wife gay?" Gloria asked him incredulously.

"I don't think this would have ever come up if she hadn't met you," Dmitri said honestly.

Gloria dropped her wooden spoon on the counter and reached into the pantry. She came out with a yellow onion. She walked back over to the stove and used a knife, standing up, to peel back its layers. She wanted to add some onion to the meat for added flavour.

"Do you really have such a problem with me living in this house?" she asked. "You liked me before…"

"I don't dislike you now," Dmitri said simply.

"You just don't like me with her?" Gloria asked. "Or you don't like the idea of her with anyone who isn't you?"

"Hmm…" Dmitri mulled over the question, as Benny finished the last drops of his bottle and went rigid stiff, his feet pressing into Dmitri's thigh.

"He just needs to be burped," Gloria explained. Walking back over, she took Benny back into her own arms and placed him over her shoulder, before patting his back firmly.

"I don't know how to feel," Dmitri said honestly. "The idea of this makes me uncomfortable and I don't like what it is doing to Nicky ...I said vows and I meant them on my wedding day. I never would have filed for divorce if I felt like I had any other option."

"What are you worried about Nicky for?" Gloria asked sharply, just as Benny let out a loud belch that sounded like it could have come from a drunk man.

"Well, obviously this is all having an influence on her," Dmitri replied.

"Now you think I'm turning your daughter gay?" Gloria asked. "Jesus...with all this power, you think I would have found a way to stop my husband from beating me up all the time."

Dmitri flushed. "Have you heard from him at all?" he asked, looking embarrassed.

"Not directly," Gloria said matter-of-factly. "He bugs my aunt every now and again. He won't sign the papers."

"And what are you going to do about that?" Dmitri asked.

"Keep living my life," Gloria shrugged. "I'm not really sure what to do. The last thing I want is a confrontation or needing to go into a courtroom and tell a judge what he did to me."

"Well, maybe that is what he deserves," Dmitri suggested.

"Maybe," Gloria said dully, "but Benny deserves to live his life in peace, which is exactly won't happen if Arturo ever found out about him."

"What if when Benny gets older, he asks about him?" Dmitri asks. "Or when he grows up and wants to meet him?"

"I'll cross those bridges when I come to them," Gloria replied. "And I'll be honest, but let him make his own choices. Julio too-Arturo raised him."

"He's still pretty young," Dmitri replied. "He probably won't remember."

"I hope he doesn't," Gloria admitted. "Even if it makes me sad. Arturo was always good to him, even when he wasn't to me. It makes me sad to think of sons growing up without their father...and I don't think you realize what a gift that is. Even if you and Galina are divorced, your children still get to have both of you and they need both of you."

"Nicky doesn't have much to do with me since Christmas," Dmitri said. "I barely see her and she never sleeps over."

"Maybe because she knows you don't approve of her?" Gloria suggested.

"I never said anything to her," Dmitri protested.

"She is a very smart girl," Gloria replied, walking over to the swing in the corner of the kitchen. Though Benny began to cry before she even strapped him in, she didn't stop. "It's pretty obvious."

Dmitri exhaled loudly and reached for the collar of his shirt where he undid two buttons. The room beginning to suddenly feel much warmer. Gloria caught a glimpse of greying chest hair as Dmitri leaned back in his chair.

"She's my little girl," he said softly. "Am I really messing things up this badly?"

"What do you think?" Gloria sighed. "She's a little girl trying to figure herself out, whose parents just went through a divorce, and she is so excited to be going to her first school dance with a date, who happens to be another girl, and she doesn't feel like she can share that with you."

"So that would be a yes…" Dmitri groaned.

"Start small?" Gloria suggested. "Maybe stop saying things like me being here is influencing her, because then you're implying that she is doing something wrong."

"It's weird," Dmitri admitted. "And now she refuses to come visit me when Tammy is there, which is so hard because I want her to live with me soon…"

"You do?" Gloria blinked in surprise.

"Yes," Dmitri nodded. "She comes to visit on all her days off as is and we've talked about her moving here. But how can that happen when Nicky hates her?"

"I don't think Nicky knows her enough to really hate her," Gloria said wisely. She opened the bread box and took out a loaf. Reaching for the appropriate knife, she began to slice it on the cutting board.

"I think she hates the _idea _of her more," she added.

"But why?" Dmitri asked, pointing an accusatory finger at Gloria. "She doesn't hate _you_."

"I think walking in on the two of you together back in the fall traumatized her more than she will admit," Gloria replied. "She was so mad at Galina for not being a good enough wife to you, but then realizing you were already serious with someone else...and let's be real, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that you two were friendly before you actually ended things with your wife…"

"We never crossed any lines," Dmitri interrupted. "All we did was talk and get to know one another, and yes, we fell in love ...not a hard thing to do when trying to get close to Galina was like trying to be intimate with a brick wall."

"See, none of the kids need to hear that," Gloria replied. "You're with her, you love her, you and Galina are divorced, and you don't have to justify your relationship with Tammy to anyone."

"She just wants my kids to like her," Dmitri said. "She's very nice to them and the boys are fair, but Nicky doesn't even let her speak."

"She's loyal to her mama," Gloria said with a wry smile. She set down the knife and used her hands to pace all the crusty bread slices into the basket they used for serving. "Insisting on having them on Christmas day really messed her up, you know?"

"So, I should not ever get to spend time with my children on Christmas because Galina doesn't like it?" Dmitri asked.

"I don't know," Gloria shook her head. "It just makes me sad. Maybe next time everyone should celebrate it together so that nobody misses out. We can all behave like civil adults for a day, can't we?"

"Maybe," Dmitri said doubtfully.

He stood up, wincing at the piercing shrieks that Benny was making. It amazed him that Gloria could just bustle around the kitchen to that soundtrack. It made him want to run out of the house as fast as he could.

"I think the helmet is in the basement," he mumbled.

Gloria set the bread basket in the center of the table next to a container of butter. Her dishes on the stove were all prepared, so she turned the stove settings on just enough to keep them warm. Then she went back to the swing to pick up Benny.

"You just don't stop, baby," she told him, kissing him lovingly despite his irritating antics. "You just don't want to stop…"

She walked out into the hallway and poked her head into the living room. Julio was lying sprawled out on the couch and looking the picture of contentment. His eyes were glued on the television, where his favourite show was playing. He didn't even notice that she was watching him.

Feeling another vibration from her phone, Gloria took it out and checked her message. It was from Galina this time, letting her know that they were about thirty minutes from town. As she slipped her phone back into her pocket, she heard the heavy footsteps climbing up to basement stairs and then Dmitri appeared, holding the helmet.

"Galina just messaged me that she will be home in half an hour," Gloria informed him. "In case you wanted to stay…"

"Why would I want to do that?" Dmitri laughed awkwardly. "This weekend is the longest I've gone without seeing her since the divorce, which is a bit peculiar."

"That's what happens when you work together," Gloria replied. She smirked. "Or own half a building, in your case."

"I help!" Dmitri insisted.

Gloria smiled. "I just thought you might want to stay for dinner so that you can see your kids when they get home?" she offered. "Try something new…"

"Ohhh," Dmitri suddenly could see where she was coming from. He understood that sticking around wasn't about Galina at all, even though she was who he had been concentrating on so far. It meant getting along so that he could spend time with his children and hear about their trip first-hand."

"I can't though," he said wistfully. "Tammy is coming over tonight. She might already be there."

"Invite her here?" Gloria suggested. "Galina won't bite."

"What about Nicky?" Dmitri joked, but he was already pulling out his own cell phone. As he went outside to go place the helmet in his truck, Gloria had a feeling that he would be back.

She didn't know if Galina would be upset at her for what she was encouraging. Dmitri and his new girlfriend were hardly her favourite people but being divorced couldn't remove someone from your life or family when there were children involved. Nobody had to be the bad guy in a situation where everyone was flawed, and just wanted peace and to be happy. Gloria still maintained that they were lucky to have the opportunity.

She would have never filed to divorce Arturo or broke up her family if she thought there could have been any other option. She wished she had been in a situation where her boys could know their father and have had the family she thought every child deserved. She knew Galina wanted that for hers too. It had been her biggest regret in the divorce, not breaking her marriage, but breaking up the picture-perfect family image she had always tried so hard to maintain. Gloria wanted her to realize that even if things were different, they didn't need to be broken.

XXX

Which was why, when Galina arrived home with her brood a little while later, Gloria was busy in the kitchen pouring herself and their two guests glasses of a sparkling white wine that had been chilled in the fridge. The house was suddenly alive with enthusiastic chatter, as Yuri, Maxim, Nicky, and Vasily came bursting through the door, carrying their overnight bags and shopping bags. They all looked happy and relaxed from an enjoyable weekend with their mother's attention solely on them.

"Benny's sleeping," Gloria warned them all with a smile, as she hugged Vasily hello. "You wake him and you're the one who is going to have to hold him all through supper."

"I'm just going to peek in on him," Galina announced. She hadn't taken more than two steps into the kitchen and although Gloria had sent her a text to let her know who to expect when she got home, she didn't acknowledge either person's presence.

Gloria thought about following her but decided to leave it be for now. So long as everyone sat down around the table together and shared a meal, it would be okay. Julio was still in the living room watching television, and the other kids congregated around the kitchen not knowing exactly what to do or say. Tammy was sipping her wine nervously at the end of the table. Yuri and Maxim both uttered polite hellos to her, but everyone seemed unsure of what to do in this new element.

"I need someone to set the table for me," Gloria announced, tapping Vasily on the shoulder. "Will you do the honours?"

Vasily sighed dramatically. "I just got in the door," he reminded her.

"I know," Gloria teased. "Life is so hard, isn't it?" She shooed him away and then turned to Yuri. "Will you pour everyone some water, Hun?"

"Yeah," Yuri agreed.

"Just give Julio his in a regular cup," Gloria smiled. "All of a sudden he is offended by sippy cups and won't drink out of them. He wants to be big like all of you."

"So, shall I set the table with a roll of paper towels to clean up all his spills?" Nicky rolled her eyes. "I went into the living room to say hi to him and he told me to go away."

"He missed all of you," Gloria told her. "But he is also mad you went without him in the first place."

Not assigned a chore, Maxim pulled out a stool in front of the kitchen island and sat down. "Why are you here, Pop?" he asked bluntly.

"I came to see you," Dmitri answered, carrying his glass of wine over to the island to sit down beside him.

"Really?" Maxim said skeptically.

"Yes," Dmitri insisted. "And Gloria offered me a free meal so how can I say no to that?"

"You own a restaurant," Nicky reminded him. "You can literally point to anything on a menu or ask for anything that comes to your head, and have it made within minutes."

"Not this," Gloria retorted. Bumping Nicky with her hip, she nudged her out of the way so that she could take her dishes off of the warming station. "I cooked all of you a little more flavour today then you're probably used to."

"Don't tell Ma that," Nicky joked.

"Does that mean it's spicy?" Vasily asked, looking concerned as he carried a big stack of plates over to the table.

"The sauce is," Gloria told him, "but you don't need to use a lot of it if you don't want."

"Well, I'll try anything once," Nicky said brightly. She walked over to the stove and watched Gloria scoop rice from a pot into one of Galina's favourite serving dishes.

"Do you want me to go call, Ma?" she offered.

"No, stay here," Gloria replied, handing her the bowl of rice once it was filled to the top. "Will you put this on the table for me?"

"How come Mama gets to hide and I have to stay here?" Nicky complained.

Gloria gave her a stern look that could usually persuade even the most stubborn child, or adult, to act right. "Go say hi to Tammy," she instructed quietly under her breath.

"I'd rather not," Nicky replied.

"Tell me, Tammy, and your father what you all did this weekend?" Gloria suggested loudly.

"You already know what we did," Nicky argued, stomping over to the table and setting the rice down next to the bread.

"Did you go shopping?" Tammy asked.

"Obviously," Nicky replied, pointing her finger at the shopping bags she had dropped on the floor against the wall. Gloria knew that it was a token to Galina's irritation and distraction, that she hadn't made her daughter put her stuff away immediately.

"Nicky and Ma did," Maxim explained, as though trying to compensate for his sister's rudeness. "We managed to get out of most of that. We went to the movies while they shopped and then we all went to the zoo."

"That's nice," Tammy said. "Did you go see a Broadway show? I haven't been to New York City in the longest time."

"Maybe we can go together?" Dmitri suggested to her with a smile. "It's a great city."

"But how are you going to get there without Ma to do all the highway driving?" Nicky asked him sarcastically. "And if you like the city so much, how come you never came when we went?"

"Nicky, why don't you open up your bags and show us what you got?" Gloria suggested. She picked up the bottle of wine from the counter and carried it over to Tammy. She didn't ask if she wanted a top up, but just wordlessly filled her glass. There was no doubt in Gloria's mind that the woman could probably use another drink. Gloria didn't think she would have wanted to come around if her own reception into this family had been anything like what Nicky was currently demonstrating.

"Why don't you show us what you got?" Gloria suggested to Nicky in a neutral tone. She walked back to the fridge and put the bottle of wine inside the door.

"You already know what I got," Nicky protested. "I sent you a picture before we bought it."

"Nicky," Gloria said sternly.

"What?" asked Nicky.

"You know what," Gloria replied.

"I didn't see the picture," Tammy spoke up. "Can I see your dress?"

"It's not a dress," Nicky told her, but as the words left her mouth, she could feel Gloria walking back across the kitchen to stand directly behind her. Her hand tightly gripped onto Nicky's shoulder warningly.

"Fine…" Nicky said begrudgingly. She shook Gloria's off and walked over to her bags. She gathered them up in her arms and carried them back over to the island where Maxim and her father were seated.

"That's quite a haul," Dmitri commented. "How much did your mother spend in two days?"

Nicky scowled. "Do you want to see what I got, or not?"

She slowly opened the first bag, looking as though she would like to be doing anything else. Gloria had half-a-mind to call her out on behaving like a spoiled brat, but she didn't want to do anything to make the evening even more tense. It was obvious that Nicky was acting out of spite of having Tammy in her mother's home. She probably thought she was being protective, loyal, and noble, but she was really just making this harder on everyone else. And Galina wasn't helping. She still hadn't come back into the kitchen, and Gloria could only imagine what she was doing.

"Water for everyone," Yuri said, as he filled the last glass at the table. He shared a look with Gloria over his sister's shoulder. "I'm going to go see if I can get Julio to talk to me."

"I'll go with you!" Vasily said.

"Me too," said Maxim, and with that all three boys scampered out of the room. Leaving their sister with the three adults, who were all watching intently as Nicky began showing them the things she had gotten on her trip to New York.

Galina hadn't just bought Nicky an outfit to wear to the school dance. Before they even got to the boutique bag, Nicky took out stacks of shorts, t-shirts, a new swimsuit, a baseball cap, and a pair of sandals, and a pair of running shoes. She had gotten an entire new wardrobe for the nearing summer. She shoved each item back into her shopping bags and then finally reached the last little bag that was fancier than the others.

Despite her efforts, Galina had not been able to find a dress that Nicky would have approved of. Though she had tried on several and from the pictures, Gloria knew that they all looked great on her, Nicky had claimed that none of them felt right. They'd finally agreed upon a black pantsuit that had rhinestones around the collar and glitter down the bootcut pants. It was striking, but juvenile enough, for a thirteen-year-old girl to wear to a school dance, and Gloria was glad that Galina had allowed Nicky to get what she wanted.

"That's beautiful," Dmitri told her.

Nicky raised her eyebrows at him in disbelief but didn't challenge what he said.

"When is the dance again?" he asked.

"Next Friday," Nicky replied. Her older brothers would be attending as well. The high school always put on an end of the year dance for the undergrads and invited the incoming students from the eighth grade to attend as well.

"And you're going with Alex?" Dmitri asked.

"Yep," Nicky said defensively, raising her chin and looking ready for a fight.

"I like her," Dmitri said warmly. "She's always been a nice girl. Maybe if it's okay with your mother, I'll come over that night to see the two of you off? I could even drive you…"

Nicky blinked at him, looking confused. "Did you fall and hit your head while I was away?" she asked him.

"I think the words you're looking for are 'thank you'," Gloria interceded.

"Thank you," Nicky sighed.

Gloria gave her a small approving smile, as Yuri walked into the room with Julio on his shoulders. On top of Julio's head was a baseball cap with three little monkeys stitched into the front.

"We gave him his present," Vasily said, offering an explanation as to why Julio suddenly appeared to be the older boys' friend again.

"How cute," said Tammy.

Julio started fidgeting until Yuri set him down. Then he raced over to Gloria and started jumping up and down. "See my monkeys? See my monkeys?" he kept repeating, pointing eagerly at his new cap.

"Yes, I see, baby," Gloria kept telling him. She reached for his hand and guided him to the table where she picked him up and settled him into the chair between Tammy and Yuri. She was pleased to see that Nicky had taken the seat next to her father, without anybody asking her to. Gloria was about to excuse herself to go see what happened to Galina, when she walked back into the room, cradling Benny in her arms.

"Did the baby wake up on his own or did you do that?" Gloria winked at her.

"I'll never tell," Galina smirked.

Gloria was relieved to not have needed to drag her to the table against her will. She knew the situation was awkward, but it would get easier the more they did this. It was in all of their best interests to get along. It would mean the world to the children and nobody would have to miss out on holidays or important events because they didn't want to be around the other parent. Nicky would even realize it was okay to give Tammy a fair chance to be a part of this family, if she saw her mother leading by example.

Gloria walked back to the fridge to pour some more wine into a glass for Galina. She brought it over to the table and sat down in the chair beside her. She gave Benny a kiss on his little button nose, and then squeezed Galina's knee encouragingly underneath the table.

"Dig in, everybody!" she said, leaning back in her seat. She thought that she had done a good thing here today. She was beyond grateful for this entire family. She thought that each one of them belonged.

**Thank you so much for all of the reviews and suggestions. I'm going to try to incorporate them all. The next chapter will be Nicky and her friends, and I am going to work in a sick Nicky as well, either in this next chapter or the following one. Blanca and Diablo, as Gloria's cousins at their wedding…stay tuned :)**

**Thank you for all the feedback. I am always open to new ideas and will try to include them wherever I can. **


	23. Chapter 23

On the Friday night of the dance, Dmitri made good on his offer and arrived at the house to pick up his children. He let them hop into the flatbed of his truck, giving Nicky a wink and a reminder _"not to tell mama"_. Galina never approved of him driving the children around in the back of the truck like that, and if she had been home, it surely would not have been permitted.

He offered to pick up all of their friends too, and save their parents the hassle of all driving to the same place. Arriving as a group would also ease any discomfort the girls were experiencing as they made their debut as the incoming freshman class. Especially since Nicky had already discovered that having older brothers, who already attended the school, wouldn't help her much.

Yuri had driven off in his new car that evening after giving his little sister strict orders not to pester him at the dance, and Maxim had enough worries of his own. He had invited Daya to the dance as a friend to be kind, but now he was very nervous about how tonight might unfold. He wasn't sure whether he should ask about her baby or pretend it had never happened.

"She looks good," Nicky whistled approvingly and nudged her brother encouragingly with her elbow. All of the truck's occupants watched in awkward silence as Daya walked out of the apartment. They could hear a toddler screaming inside and Aleida was yelling something out the door.

"Yeah...yeah, I heard you!" Daya called back, rolling her eyes dramatically. "Fuck…"

"Rough evening?" Maxim asked her sympathetically. He had hopped out of the truck as she neared and then pulled the tailgate down. Everyone usually just jumped over it, but it was in his instinct to be extra cautious with Daya. He had seen how much difficulty Gloria had getting around after Benny was born, and even though Daya had given birth several months prior, he couldn't help feeling overprotective.

"Just my mom acting like a bitch as usual," Daya replied, glaring over her shoulder as Aleida closed the door of the apartment without so much as a 'goodbye'.

Daya sighed loudly and used one hand to hoist herself up with ease and then leaned her back against the side of the truck. Nicky had been watching her most closely since she'd emerged and gave her an encouraging smile.

"You look really good," she told her, with a thumbs up. "And don't feel bad, all moms are kinda bitchy sometimes."

Piper gaped at Nicky. "It's like you have a death wish," she teased.

"Mine cuffed me over the head this morning for walking into the kitchen with my shoes still on," Nicky complained, with a snigger. She wasn't really upset, just trying to show Daya that she didn't have to feel alone with the motherly grievances.

"Mine just bitches all day and then when you finally give it back, she gets on you for having an attitude," Daya shared. It was a common occurrence between her and Aleida, nothing exactly happened, but they just clashed sometimes.

"Well, your dress is pretty," Maxim smiled.

Daya shrugged and looked down at her dress. It had been a subject of strain for her since she'd agreed to go to the dance, but she appreciated what Maxim was trying to do. Being a teenage girl with a curvier figure that made shopping difficult sometimes was hard enough, but learning to dress a postpartum body that was still carrying about twenty extra pounds was even worse.

"Thanks to Gloria," she said softly.

"Did she buy it for you?" Piper asked.

"No," Daya scoffed, fingering the fabric of her dress. "She helped alter it out of one of her old maternity dresses. Gave it a waistline. None of my regular dresses fit me yet."

It was the truth and there was no shame in it, but Nicky noticed the way that Daya blushed. She had been home the day that Daya had come over to see Gloria, looking distressed and with the intention of cancelling on attending this dance all together. It had made Nicky feel guilty, putting all her new clothes from New York away in her closet and staring at the outfit for the dance that her own mother had bought for her.

"Well, you just had a baby," Piper said, trying to sound soothing. "My mom said once she had babies she had to buy a whole new wardrobe, not because she was fat, but because her hips were wider."

"Not everyone can afford a whole new wardrobe," Daya cut in impatiently.

Nobody said anything and Dmitri stuck his head out of the window then to check that they were all seated. He turned the radio up and the music blared out of the speakers. It helped dissolve some of the tension brewing, as Piper reached up to her head to flatten her hair down and their speed accelerated onto the country road.

"I like your dress too," Daya said to Piper, further easing the tension as the two girls shared a smile. Nicky leaned her head back into the breeze and relaxed. She decided that this was the best sort of way to arrive for a dance. Just fun and easy, despite the fancy clothes that implied otherwise.

She was so happy to be going to this dance with Alex. She liked the idea of a date and she had enjoyed kissing Alex on Christmas and the few other times they had done that. Nicky liked holding her hand and the flirty way they behaved when alone, that made hanging out together even more fun.

Yet, since she had woken up that morning, it had felt like there was a nervous ball of energy bouncing around inside of her stomach that she'd been trying to ignore. All of their friends knew by now that Alex and Nicky were attending this dance as each other's dates, which meant it was no secret that they were gay. Even if nobody had said anything negative, it was a bit intimidating. Especially to be walking into her new high school with that part of herself on clear display.

They picked Lorna up next. She was waiting on the enclosed porch of her family house watching her two younger brothers brandish sticks at one another while pretending they were swords. As soon as they pulled in the drive, Lorna ran across the yard towards them, just as her sister Franny appeared on the porch in a leopard print dress and started shouting at the boys to settle down before one of them lost an eye.

"Sooooo happy to be getting out of here!" Lorna exclaimed, walking around the truck.

"Does your sister want a drive to the dance also?" Dmitri asked as she passed his door.

"No thank you," Lorna replied politely. "She has a guy picking her up."

She pulled herself up over the raised tailgate of the truck. Her little kitten heels clicked and she held her skirt down with her hands to keep it in place. Once she was in, she sat down and stretched her legs out in front of her, admiring the satin pumps she had spent two months allowance on. They were the same exact shade as the pale pink chiffon dress she was wearing. Nicky watched as Lorna alternated between smoothing and bunching the fabric of the skirt in her hands. The wind was blowing strands of her hair from the bun on top of her head, but she didn't seem to notice or mind.

"Our hair is going to be a wreck by the time we get to the dance," Piper stressed.

"If you're so worried, you can go sit inside," Nicky suggested. "Make friends with Tammy. That would make my father happy."

"It would probably make him happier if _you _made friends with her," her brother pointed out.

Nicky made a face. "I've been very nice lately," she protested. "Nothing but charm."

She had been surprised when Dmitri pulled up with his girlfriend that evening, although if she had really thought about it, it wasn't entirely unexpected. Nicky wasn't even sure if Tammy had left at all that week. She had a job and a place of her own in a town almost two hours away, but she had been hanging around the Tavern with Dmitri on Wednesday, when Nicky had dropped by for a visit after school.

"It doesn't upset you?" Daya asked. "I always hated when my mom would bring someone new in."

"Well, it's not like he keeps trading them out," Nicky shrugged. "And my parents divorce is cordial. We all had dinner together last Sunday, with Tammy and Gloria. And we're all going out again to celebrate my graduation as a family."

"That's nice," Lorna said looking surprised. "My family can't go anywhere all together without a fight, and my parents are married."

"My parents are still together, but they act like the other one doesn't exist most of the time," Piper shared.

"Yeah, it's never going to be perfect," Nicky agreed. "But it's okay…"

She didn't know how kids borne of parents who hated each other and who couldn't spend time together could really cope, and she knew she was luckier than most. It had meant a lot to Nicky and her brothers to have Dmitri in the house when they'd arrived home from New York. Even if he had never been the most hands-on dad, he had always been popping in and out, getting them to help with home projects when they were older, or coming to sit on the edge of their beds and ask about their day before they fell asleep.

It had to be one of the most unsettling things about divorce: time with a parent all of a sudden being scheduled or being spent at the expense of the other parent, who was left out. She was grateful that her mother and father were learning to put aside their differences to give them the family they still were entitled to. She understood that her parents still loved one another, even if it needed to be done from a distance, and she liked Gloria and was getting used to Tammy.

"First stop is definitely going to be the bathroom to brush my hair," Piper shared. "I don't want Larry to see me looking like I just rolled out of bed."

"I'm embracing the natural look," Nicky countered. To emphasize her point, Nicky shook her head from side to side and ran her hands roughly through her locks to make her curls wilder than ever. Gloria had offered to straighten it for the occasion but Nicky hadn't wanted to sit still for the length of time it would take to accomplish. She had always liked her hair, especially since her mother had always told her about how much she wished her own hair could look like that.

"I think you look really pretty," Lorna said.

"Not too try hard?" Nicky asked with a smile.

"Not at all," Lorna shook her head. "But you look good."

"I got ready in twenty minutes," Nicky joked, forcing herself to look away from Lorna. She concentrated on Piper, taking in the plum coloured dress with cap sleeves that she was wearing. Piper had a heart shaped silver locket around her throat and a few bangled bracelets on her left wrist.

"That's crazy!" Piper exclaimed. "I could never be ready that fast...do you think Larry will like my dress?"

"Probably," Nicky said. She elbowed her brother again hard. "What do you think?"

"Ow!" Maxim exclaimed, rubbing his ribs. "Stop doing that."

"Well, Piper needs a guy's perspective and you weren't chiming in on your own," Nicky retorted.

"I think you look nice," Maxim told Piper. "Very pretty. You all do. If Larry doesn't tell you that himself, it's because he wasn't paying attention."

"That's reassuring," Piper complained. "A date is supposed to give compliments."

"At least you have a date," Lorna sighed. "I got a new dress and new shoes and nobody there is even going to care." she wrinkled her nose. "And my Dad said I look _'inappropriate.'_"

"Why?" Nicky asked, giving Lorna a quick once over. The skirt of her pale pink dress reached just above the knee and it had a sweetheart neckline that showed off nothing on such a small chested girl. Nicky supposed Mr. Morello might have objected to the thin spaghetti straps, but a thirteen-year old's shoulders were hardly something to object to.

"Who knows with him?" Lorna complained. "He's just scared that since Franny lost her virginity the summer before high school, that I'm going to do the same thing."

"He doesn't want you to end up like me," Daya said grimly. "Isn't that what all the parents in town are afraid of?"

Lorna and Piper exchanged a look that only Nicky caught. She knew that both the Morello's and the Chapman's had used Dayanara's story as sort of a cautionary tale. Her own mother probably would have done the same with her, if Nicky hadn't come out to her around the same time. It wasn't out of judgement or to be mean. There was just a shock in their little town that such a young girl could have already faced such grownup stuff. Most people wanted to keep their children as innocent for as long as possible and Daya's predicament forced everyone to accept that you couldn't always know what your sons and daughters were up to.

"He doesn't want me to be like my sister," Lorna said. "He knows she's sexually active and says he doesn't understand why she hasn't gotten knocked up by somebody yet."

"Not helping, Lorn," Nicky groaned. Sometimes she couldn't believe how incredibly tone deaf her friend was.

"Alex's mom is home," Maxim announced. They pulled into Alex's driveway and parked directly behind an old car. The trunk was open and a young woman was pulling out a bag of groceries.

"Don't you all look nice!" Diane Vause exclaimed. She was still dressed in the short teal dress and white apron that she wore to work. Her long black hair was pulled back in a high ponytail and as she drew nearer, Nicky noticed the smudge of eyeliner on her cheek.

Instead of idling the truck as he had at their other stops, Dmitri switched it off and stepped out to say hello. The Reznikovs had always been friendly with Alex's mother. Galina and Diane had met when their daughters were babies in the same mommy-and-me classes and had gotten to know one another well over the years from their daughters' friendship.

If Dmitri had any reservations about presenting Tammy to all of the friends and acquaintances who knew him firstly as Galina's husband, then he didn't show it. He introduced Tammy to Diane with the same show of comfortability and pride that he expressed when showing off to all the people who patroned the Tavern he still co-owned with his ex-wife. People were going to talk and he was sure that his and Galina's divorce and subsequent relationships were even a hotter topic than they realized, but it didn't matter. He was happier than he had ever been before in his life.

"I'm so glad I got home in time to see all of you off," Diane smiled at the girls, who had taken the adults conversation as an excuse to hop out of the truck as well. The only two who remained back were Maxim and Daya. They were speaking quietly together and didn't seem to notice any of the others. "They tried to talk me into staying until midnight, but I put my foot down."

"You need to do that more often," Dmitri advised.

Miss. Vause worked at the twenty-four-hour truck stop in the next town over. The shifts were long and the drive was a pain, but there was more traffic there and the truckers tipped well. She worked hard and provided the best life she could for her daughter, but the job wasn't easy and she rarely had a day off.

"Maybe someday," Diane sighed. "We need a roof on our house before next winter. I wanted to ask if you know a guy that could give me a quote?"

"Where's Alex?" Nicky interrupted.

"She's just putting the finishing touches on her makeup," Diane smiled. "Why don't you girls run in and hurry her along?"

"And give Diane a hand bringing in the groceries, huh?" Dmitri added. Nicky obediently grabbed the bag that Diane still held in her hand. Lorna and Piper each loaded up with bags out of the trunk and left a couple more for Nicky. Nobody needed to make a second trip.

"Thanks guys," Diane said. "Bring out the camera on the bookshelf when you come back out, will you? I want pictures of all of you before you leave!"

Nicky walked ahead of her two friends. She jogged up the steps to the front door and ignored the way Alex's new cat hissed and growled at her as she stepped over the threshold.

"I'm just visiting Alex," Nicky spoke to the cat, as she slipped her black shoes off before walking off of the mat.

She dropped her grocery bags off in the kitchen and then walked down the hall to where Alex's bedroom was. She was standing in front of the full-length mirror in a grey satin dress. Nicky noticed immediately that she was wearing two different shoes.

"How's it going Cinderella?" she teased.

"When did you get here?" Alex asked. She stepped back from the mirror to give Nicky a quick hug hello. "I didn't notice you pull up."

"We parked behind your mom," Nicky replied. "Our parents are talking so we've got a few more minutes if you're not ready yet, Piper and Lorna are right behind me."

"Huh..." Alex breathed. She kept her arm around Nicky and kicked one foot out and then the other.

"What are you doing?" Nicky laughed.

"Trying to decide what shoes to wear," Alex replied. "I like my high heels but I didn't want it to be awkward standing next to you or dancing...I'm so much taller."

"I don't care," Nicky insisted. "You've got great legs, so pick the shoes that show them off the best. I swear, I want to dance with you either way."

"Alright then," Alex replied.

"Yeah…" Nicky agreed awkwardly. She heard the front door opening and knew that Piper and Lorna had caught up, so she took advantage of the moment. Standing on tiptoe she tilted her head up to kiss Alex's lips.

Their mouths barely connected before she drew back, and Alex kicked off the grey flat and then hobbled across the room in a single heel to find its matching pair. Although it wasn't much of a kiss to speak of, Nicky's heart started pounding anyway from the excitement any romantic contact stirred inside her. She felt her cheeks burn and walked over to sit backwards in the desk chair, trying to look as natural as possible before her friends saw anything.

"Alex, your cat just attacked me!" Piper exclaimed, running into the room with Lorna hot on her tail. She leaned over to point at the clear red scratch vertical up her leg.

"What?" Alex scoffed, as she slipped the black pump onto her foot. "You must have scared her."

"That's what I started to say," Lorna said warily, falling back onto the bed. "But then she started looking like she wanted to pounce on my leg too so I got the hell out of there. She's guarding the door to the outside."

"Where did you find that mean old thing, Al?" Piper gasped. "It doesn't have rabies, I hope."

"No, Ziggy doesn't have rabies," Alex rolled her eyes. "And she's not mean-she's just protective of her new home. We found her at the dump last week, scrounging for scraps of food."

"Well, she took a good chunk out of my leg," Piper complained.

"I got through the door just fine," Nicky said coyly. "Of course, I'm used to navigating around feral beasts: I live with five brothers."

"And we all know that you love it," Alex smirked. "Imagine how jealous you'd feel if your mom had another daughter."

"Pretty sure I'd still secretly be her favourite," Nicky replied. "Although, I won't pretend I wasn't happy that Gloria's baby turned out to be a boy. Even if he's a little jerk."

"He's sooooo cute!" Lorna gushed. "I just want to hold him all the time. Do you think she'll let me babysit him soon?"

"Probably," Nicky shrugged. "She and Ma left him and Julio with Sister Ingalls tonight, so they could go see a movie."

"You sound bitter," Alex said.

"Because I was abandoned," Nicky said dramatically.

"You texted me that you spent all day with your mom," Alex reminded her.

"Yeah…" Nicky sighed. It was true. She had spent all morning helping Galina rake up the mulch in their yard and then with the flower beds. It had been pleasant to be outside together, especially since Benny had been crying indoors off and on since he woke up. Nicky had enjoyed time alone with her mother, even if she worked her hard.

"Gloria even offered to straighten your hair," Alex pointed out.

"Kind of regretting not taking her up on that now," Nicky joked, tugging one of her wild curls and watching it bounce. "But then you might not have recognized me."

"I think you look great," Alex assured her.

"Me too," Lorna chimed in.

"Let's go take pictures to prove it," Piper said. She pointed at her scratch again. "Or do you think I should put something on that?"

"I think you'll live," Nicky said, standing up and tucking the chair under the desk. "But we better get going. There's fashionably late and then there's late-late."

"Do you think Yuri is already at the dance?" asked Lorna.

"Probably not," Nicky said dully. Her brother would likely show at some point with his date, but the last thing Nicky needed was Lorna bugging them. Not only was it irritating to watch, it caused trouble between herself and her brother, who considered her friends her responsibility. While Nicky still adored Lorna, she didn't want this night to be about her. There was a reason she was going with Alex instead of Lorna. Alex and she had been getting closer since Christmas.

"We'll find you someone," Alex assured Lorna, with a friendly pat on the back.

"Yeah, Larry has some friends who are kind of cute," Piper suggested.

"Or Joel Luschek?" Nicky said with a wry smile. "My brothers said he is coming but couldn't get anyone to go with him."

"He probably didn't even try to get a date," Lorna rolled her eyes. "Everyone knows he has a crush on you, Nicky."

"Hmm, should I be worried?" Alex whispered in Nicky's ear.

"If you are, I think you and I would need to have a serious talk about your self-esteem," Nicky teased.

Alex led the way down the hall and towards the door. Unlike the three girls the cat had hissed and clawed at, Alex was able to stroke it behind the ears and down its spine. Nicky remembered to grab the camera and they all piled out of the house and hurried over to the vehicle, where they permitted Diane to take pictures of all of them together, singles shots, and one of Nicky and Alex to capture the moment. Even Maxim and Daya had been coaxed down to pose at one point. And then Nicky and Maxim had willingly stood together, with Dmitri and Tammy on opposite ends smiling proudly.

"Will you send the photos to my mom?" Nicky asked Diane, as she climbed back into the truck.

"Of course," Diane replied.

"Except the last one," Nicky remembered, "but you can send it to me."

"I will, Nicky," Diane smiled understandingly. She backed away from the truck and waved at them all cheerfully. "Have fun everybody! Alex, don't forget to text me!"

The bed of the truck was now jammed pack. They all stretched their legs out and were taking up every inch of space. The sun had finally set, the night was dark, and the air was cool. As they all talked and joked around, Nicky discreetly reached for Alex's hand and pulled it over her lap. Alex reciprocated the squeeze and stroked her thumb back and forth over Nicky's palm.

This was more than friends, but they were also great friends, and Nicky was ready for an incredible night.

**Thank you very much for the reviews Johanna-002, galinareznikovlove, vauseandspanishharlem, wallscollide, and Juliette. **

**I think Blanca will make an appearance in one of the last chapters (still not sure how many chapters there will be.) I say I'm wrapping it up but I'm sort of letting the story decide for itself when it ends ;) **

**On the note about it being spelled 'Maxsim'. I see you are right. I read it spelled 'Maxim' in a book, years ago, and just spelled it that way without realizing. So, I've kept it spelled "Maxim" in this story just for continuity sake. **

**Thanks for the idea of including Alex's mother, Vauseandspanishharlem!**

**This chapter was supposed to end with Nicky and Red, after Nicky got sick. That will probably happen in the next chapter. I'm not sure if she will still get sick, but something will happen that will make her need her mother. **

**Thank you for reading. **


	24. Chapter 24

"Wow!" Lorna exclaimed, her heels clicking against the linoleum tile, as she looked around the decorated gymnasium. "This place is huge!"

Nicky shrugged her shoulders and awkwardly stuck her hands in her pockets. Though she had been to this school several times in the past because of her older brothers or for community events, it was different being here for herself. She still felt so much like a kid that it was intimidating and she was so grateful to be walking into it for this welcome dance with all of her friends. It was scary to think that in four short years when she left this place, she would technically be an adult and maybe not even be living at home anymore. Nicky didn't want to go there just yet, so she forced those thoughts from her mind and just tried to concentrate on being present in the moment.

"It's not that big," Daya said dully, her arms folded against her chest. "Bet the city kids get a better venue then a cafeteria."

"City schools have more students," Nicky said smartly. "And money, if you live on the Upper East Side."

"I'll live there one day," Lorna told her dreamily.

"I've only been there twice that I remember," Alex said.

"That's more than Lorna," Nicky laughed. "Unless I'm mistaken, I'm pretty sure you never went until last year for our school trip."

"Yeah, but it was as awesome as I always imagined it would be," Lorna sighed. "You're so lucky that your mom takes you guys on trips there."

"Yeah, I guess so," Maxim agreed. He tapped Daya playfully on the shoulder. "Do you want to dance?". The DJ had just put on a slow song and the students were all scrambling to pair up with the person they had come with.

"Sure," Daya replied, her face breaking out into the first genuine smile that Nicky had seen on it in awhile. She watched them walk onto the dance floor side by side, but her brother waited to take Daya's hand until they were standing under the strobe lighting. Not too far behind them, she made out Yuri dancing with his girlfriend. The way their heads were angled, it was easy to tell from even across the gymnasium, that they were necking.

"Where's Larry?" Piper complained, fretfully glancing around the gym in the hopes of seeing him heading her way.

"I dunno," Nicky shrugged. "But there are a lot of other guys standing around awkwardly who would probably like to dance with either of you."

"What? Where?" Lorna asked eagerly.

"Everywhere," Nicky laughed. "Why do you seem surprised? You're beautiful and look…"

"Hi, Lorna," a shy voice said, approaching the foursome. "Would you like to dance."

"Yes!" Lorna exclaimed. Then she caught herself and blushed. "I mean...hi, Vinny. Yes, a dance would be nice."

"Take it easy," Nicky teased, watching as her friend grasped onto Vinny's arm and allowed him to steer her onto the dance floor. "I bet you guys any money that we don't see her again for the rest of the night."

"Great," Piper groaned. "Now I'm the only loser. Do you think he asked someone else? Or forgot about me?"

"I think if he did that, he's a bigger fool that I already consider him," Alex replied. "Just don't waste this whole night looking for him though. That is not how you want to begin high school."

"I won't," Piper promised. "I think I'm just going to walk around a little bit and see. He never texted…"

"Good idea," Nicky interrupted. "Why don't we meet over at the refreshment table in five minutes? I don't want this song to end…"

"What? Ohhh," Piper said, catching on to what Nicky was implying. "Yeah, go ahead," she nodded at them both, feeling sorry for herself. "Have fun."

Nicky didn't need to be told twice. "I intend to," she said to Alex, when they left Piper and were walking onto the dance floor.

"Do you feel sort of bad?" Alex asked, looking back over her shoulder at Piper who was standing by herself.

"Did you really want to spend this time helping her search for Larry?" Nicky asked.

"Well, no," Alex admitted. "I want to dance with you." She placed both of her hands on Nicky's waist and Nicky reached up with her arms to hand on to Alex's shoulders. She didn't care if people were staring or that she might be beginning her high school career with everyone gossiping about the incoming lesbians. None of that mattered. She was feeling confident in where she was and when she caught Yuri's eye, when he came up for air long enough to smile at her, she could tell he was proud of her too.

"I really like what you're wearing by the way," Alex said.

"Thanks," Nicky replied. "My mom got it for me on our last trip to New York, but don't say that in front of Lorna."

Alex laughed. "I won't," she promised.

"After this song we can go help Piper find Larry," Nicky said generously. "Or find her somebody new all together...I wouldn't mind playing matchmaker. I think I'd be good at it."

"Probably," Alex agreed. "You always read people so well."

But when the song ended, Piper was nowhere to be found. Either she found Larry, or she had wandered off to go be with somebody else. Nicky caught sight of Lorna looking happy and holding hands with Vinny. She waved at her and smiled, but Lorna didn't see her.

"I thought she liked Christopher," Alex commented.

"She doesn't know who she likes," Nicky said matter-of-factly.

Nicky didn't think anybody could possibly understand Lorna as well as she did, so she couldn't help but feel overprotective. It helped that she was here with Alex. Having someone with her who was focused on her and who found her attractive, made up for Lorna's general obliviousness. Nicky had never confessed about what was in the letter she had written to Lorna and been too afraid to send. It wouldn't have achieved anything, except to make them both feel awkward. It wasn't that Nicky didn't necessarily feel those things anymore, but she accepted that they weren't relevant. She was so happy to be here with Alex and Lorna appeared thrilled to be with Vinny. It was okay.

"I don't see Piper," Alex said.

"Me either," Nicky agreed nonchalantly. "Maybe she's at the refreshment table? I could use a drink anyway."

'Me too," said Alex. She squeezed Nicky's hand and together they began to navigate through the crowd of students. They were bumped and jostled from either side. Near the back of the gym, student council had laid out a long table of cupcakes, cookies, popcorn, chips, and different kinds of sodas.

"I want cream soda," Nicky announced.

"Me too," Alex voiced. Whether it was true or not, it was sort of cute to both drink the same thing. They grabbed two cans of soda and a cupcake each, and then went to sit down in the bleachers to eat them.

Nicky had barely sat down and taken a lick of the icing off her cupcake, when she heard somebody squeal loudly behind her.

"No, way!" a girl sitting a couple of rows above them gasped. "Alex Vause!"

Alex had been about to sit down beside Nicky, but she stood back up to stare up at the bleachers in wonder. A shorter girl with shoulder length brown hair was climbing down the stairs eagerly towards them. "Oh my God!" she squealed, and hugged Alex so tightly, that she almost knocked her over. "I can't believe it's you!"

"Artesian?" Alex said, sounding shocked. "Wow-what on earth are you doing here?"

"I go to this school now!" Artesian exclaimed. "Or at least I will be in September. My parents and I just moved to town last Saturday."

"You might have mentioned it," Alex said dryly.

"I didn't think you'd be here," Artesian giggled.

"This is the only high school in town," Alex replied. "You know I live here. Of course, I'll be going to this high school."

"Well, then I wanted to surprise you!" Artesian said, holding her hands up dramatically. "Surprise!"

"Yeah..." Alex chuckled awkwardly. She looked down at Nicky, who was staring up at them with a bemused sort of expression on her face. She had some blue and yellow frosting from the cupcake on her mouth-the school colours.

"Artesian, this is Nicky," Alex introduced them. "Nicky-Artesian. Remember when I went to camp last summer? Artesian and I were in the same dorm."

"Alex taught me how to swim," Artesian said.

"Your parents sent you to summer camp and you didn't know how to swim?" Nicky said incredulously. "That seems risky…"

"Yeah, it kinda sucked," Artesian said. "But I know how to now. Your face is a mess by the way. You've got icing all over your lips."

"Hmm?" Nicky blinked, and self consciously brushed her hand over her mouth. She already could tell she didn't like this girl.

"Not all over," Alex assured her. "Just...here," she reached down and ran her thumb over Nicky's lips slowly.

"Thanks," Nicky said gruffly.

"There's so much I want to tell you!" Artesian told Alex eagerly. "So much has happened."

"I can't wait to hear all about it," Alex assured her. "But Nicky and I were just going to have a quick snack and then we want to dance again."

"Sounds fun," Artesian replied. "I came by myself. I don't really know anybody else in this town yet…"

"Everyone is very nice," Alex promised. "Nicky and I can introduce you to our other friends as well. Right, Nicky?"

"Sure," Nicky said.

"I'd love that!" Artesian exclaimed. "Oh, and I love this song!"

Nicky listened. The Cha-Cha-Slide was starting to play, a guaranteed way to get nearly every person present onto the dance floor, because who could resist.

"Do you guys want go dance?" Artesian asked.

Alex hesitated and turned to Nicky. She gave her an apologetic look which Nicky didn't respond to.

"Do you want to dance some more, Nicky?" Alex asked.

"_Yes, with you_," Nicky thought to herself, but she didn't know how to say that out loud without Alex getting mad at her for being mean to her friend.

"I think I'll sit this one out," Nicky said tightly.

"Oh," Alex said awkwardly. "Well, then I will too-"

"Come on, Alex!" Artesian urged, already tugging her arm to get Alex to head down to the dance floor with her. Nicky pressed her lips together and said nothing.

"I'll be right back," Alex said apologetically, as she allowed herself to be pulled away. Nicky watched them dully head onto the dance floor without her. A part of her wanted to follow them and not let this ruin her evening, but a bigger part of her was indignant at the fact that Alex hadn't just told Artesian to leave them alone. Even if that was unreasonable, Nicky couldn't change how she felt.

XXX

"Why don't we do this more often?" Gloria voiced. She had forgotten what it felt like to be this relaxed. Sitting outside a Bistro at a tiny circular table for two, sipping the wine she had ordered with dessert as slowly as possible, because she didn't want the night to end.

Even the anxieties she had had about leaving her baby for the first time, were soothed by the flurry of pictures that Sister Ingalls kept sending from home. She knew that her boys were in good hands, which made it easier for her just be fully present in the moment. She and Galina had had quite an evening to themselves.

"More often?" Galina teased; her thigh pressed against Gloria's. "We _never _do this."

Though it wasn't the first time they had made the drive to this town an hour away that had a little bit more happening, it was the first time they had gone alone. They had started out their night with dinner at a favourite restaurant where Galina often brought the children. Then they had seen a movie. Bill Chapman had made his theater from a reconverted opera house which made going there always seem more special than simply watching a show. Once the movie was over and Gloria had turned on her phone and seen affirmation that Benny was doing alright, they had decided to share a piece of cheesecake and have a drink before they got back on the road home.

"Not _never," _Gloria objected, eyeing Galina's hand, which had been resting lightly on the table, she decided she couldn't resist grabbing it for another moment.

"You whisked me off to New York for a romantic getaway last Christmas," Gloria smiled, stroking her thumb over the back of Galina's hand.

"That doesn't count," Galina protested, as she brought her mug of coffee to her lips for a long sip. While Gloria drank red wine, she had only had a small drink with dinner earlier. She had to drive the car, although she looked forward to maybe staying overnight here with Gloria sometime when the baby was older.

"I didn't _know _it was going to turn romantic," Galina blushed. "I just needed to do my Christmas shopping like I always do, and thought you might enjoy the trip as a friend."

"Oh, you knew," Gloria smirked.

"Maybe," Galina begrudgingly admitted, squeezing Gloria's hand more tightly.

She couldn't remember a time when the air between them hadn't been thick with an intensity and passion she had never expected. She sensed it before she had even really known who Gloria was. From their first moments, she had been drawn to her. In a way that wasn't simply because she sensed Gloria as a person who needed her compassion and protection. Galina felt she had gained just as much from their initial friendship and its natural growth into something more.

"We need to make plans to do that again," Gloria said.

"Next Christmas?" Galina asked. "Oh, I'm sure we will-"

"No," Gloria shook her head. "Well...yes, but I don't want to wait that long."

"Have you given any more thought to your cousin's wedding?" Galina asked. Gloria had received a formal invitation in the mail the other day inviting them to her cousin Blanca's wedding.

"I just don't see how…" Gloria said wistfully. She sighed. "But Lourdes keeps calling every other day hoping to change my mind."

"I don't see what's stopping you," Galina replied. "Your new job has paid holidays."

"That doesn't mean they won't judge me for scheduling a week off before I even officially start working," Gloria said grimly. "Not to mention the fact that you and I both know that Benny is going to lose his shit on the airplane."

"He'll cope," Galina said dryly.

"It's not him I'm worried about," Gloria sighed.

"Then we'll cope," Galina smiled.

"We?" Gloria blinked. "It's right in the middle of your busy time," she reminded, she squeezed the front of Galina's sleeveless green blouse and when she did, her pinky slipped underneath a button, briefly touching the creamy skin. "I thought you said there was no way?"

"There might be," Galina said.

"How?" asked Gloria. "You barely trust Dmitri to run the place enough to take an afternoon off?"

"I'll check in," Galina said confidently. It was obvious that she had given this a lot of thought already. "Norma and Gina do well, and Dmitri will have Aleida to help him…"

"And Tammy," Gloria added. She watched Galina's scrunch in displeasure and couldn't resist a laugh at how cute she thought it made her.

"Is she ever going home?" Galina groaned.

"Probably not, honey," Gloria smiled. "Dmitri told me himself that he wanted to move in with her."

"I had hoped that meant he would be leaving town," Galina rolled her eyes.

"Well, instead it means you've got your ex-husband and his new girlfriend living right above your business," Gloria teased. "You may as well put her to work so she earns her keep."

"Like washing the dishes in the kitchen?" Galina said gruffly.

"Isn't that your boys' job?" Gloria asked.

"They'd need the week off too," Galina replied. "I couldn't take off to Florida without bringing my children-I'd feel too guilty."

"So, we'd be travelling with six kids?" Gloria's eyes widened.

"They don't have to come to the wedding," Galina interceded quickly. "And I could get a hotel for me and my four so we're not in your family's way."

"Lourdes practically burst through your front door and stayed for an entire week," Gloria scoffed. "She'd better be happy to have you all. Besides, she asks about them all the time. Especially Nicky."

"And how will your family feel about you bringing your girlfriend to the wedding?" Galina asked bluntly.

"Girlfriend," Gloria echoed with a smile. "I like the way that sounds."

"Isn't that what I am?" Galina asked.

"Oh, yes," Gloria nodded. "But I think that's the first time you've called yourself that-I like it...but to answer your question, they're literally watching Blanca get married to a member of the Church of Satan. We'll probably be old news by comparison."

Galina reached for Gloria's hand and squeezed very tightly. "Well, that's good," she said. "I'd like to try and go if you want to."

"Okay," Gloria said, and pressed her lips to Galina's cheek. She enjoyed the warmth from her skin and kissed her again, this time angling for the corner of her mouth, which was about how daring she felt she could be in a public place with her right now.

"Okay," Galina whispered, and she turned her head just in time to catch Gloria directly on the mouth when they tried for another kiss.

It was over as soon as it started, they pulled back so quickly that anyone around them would have missed it unless they were staring and waiting for it. Still, it was their first actual kiss in a public space. They both were feeling more liberated just from being in a town that wasn't their own, where they knew every single person around them and would be the subject of gossip for months after such a public display.

"Do you want to walk around a little bit before we go home?" Gloria asked, her hand gripping Galina's chin now. She didn't want this night to end. They lived and were raising babies together, but the romance between them always seemed to be one of the least important elements of their relationship. It never got enough attention and she wanted to work on changing that. "Sister Ingalls said to take our time."

"Sure," Galina nodded. "The stores are all open later here on Friday nights. We could get some shopp-"

Her words died off as the ringtone of her cellphone played from inside her purse. She let go of Gloria's hand so that she could search for it. Pursing her lips when she pulled it out and saw that it was Nicky calling. With her older three out at the dance with dates, and having given Lida permission to hang out at the house later tonight, Galina hadn't expected to hear from any of them.

"Hi, honey," Galina said, once she accepted the call and placed the phone against her ear.

"_Will you come get me_?"

"Is everything okay?" Galina shared an anxious look with Gloria, as their server chose this moment to come back over to the table. .

"Would you ladies like anything else tonight?" he asked.

"Just the cheque please," Gloria answered quietly. Galina had her fingers pressed against her free ear to try to drown on the background sounds that were making it difficult for her to hear Nicky.

The server cleared their single plate with two forks. He asked if they needed the debit machine and Galina responded with a brief nod of her head.

"Honey, I'm going to be on my way in a minute," she said into the phone, reaching for her purse at the same time to dig out her wallet. "But it's still an hour's drive. You should phone your father to come pick you up."

"Here you are," the server said, returning with the receipt and the machine. Galina tapped her card to the screen without bothering to cheque the amount totalling.

"Thank you," Gloria said politely to their server.

"She hung up on me!" Galina said in outrage.

"Nicky?" Gloria guessed correctly. "She not having a good night?"

"Doesn't sound like it," Galina said sadly. She bit down on her bottom lip and opened the clasp on her wallet where she kept her money. She pulled out a folded five-dollar bill and smoothed it out before placing it underneath her coffee mug so it wouldn't blow away.

The two women silently stood up from their chairs and began to walk towards the exit. Gloria placed her hand on the small of Galina's back, but it was barely recognized. Galina was busy texting with her fingers at a rapid pace. When they reached the van, she unlocked the doors with a press of a button on her keys. Then moved away from Gloria to walk around to the driver's side.

"Do you think I should call Yuri or Maxim?" she asked, as she pulled her seatbelt across her body.

"Okay, definitely don't do that," Gloria said automatically, fastening her own seatbelt. She placed her purse down on the floor by her feet. "Just wait until you get home and can ask Nicky herself."

"She didn't want to talk about what upset her on the phone," Galina said in distress. She turned the key in the ignition and they were on their way. There was no question of doing a spot of shopping or simply wandering around hand and hand together anymore. As soon as Nicky had phoned, Galina had snapped instantly back into mom-mode without a moment's hesitation.

"High school hasn't even officially started, and already you're getting a glimpse of the teenage drama that awaits you," Gloria teased, trying to lighten the tension in the vehicle.

"I really wanted tonight to go well for her," Galina sighed, leaning back into her seat.

"It will probably resolve itself in a few days," Gloria said calmly. "Dating is emotional and there are lots of highs and lows. Don't you remember?"

"I only dated Dmitri," Galina replied. "First kiss, first dance, first time…"

"What about that other one?" Gloria smirked. While her own past was surely more colourful, she really enjoyed listening to Galina talk about the dramatics of her younger life.

"That lasted like a month," Galina rolled her eyes. "It felt more like a pause from Dmitri, than a relationship that had any chance of going anywhere."

"You still had fun though," Gloria pointed out. "And it makes a good story."

"And I was eighteen when I started dating Dmitri," Galina pressed on, as though Pavel were a complete non-entity. "Nicky is still a little girl. None of this is supposed to be so serious or bother her enough that she wants to leave after only a couple hours."

"I think you might be more upset than she is," Gloria said. "She'll be okay."

"You don't think anyone made fun of her, do you?" Galina asked anxiously, as Gloria just shrugged her shoulders helplessly in reply.

Galina squeezed the steering wheel as tightly as she could. The fear of her daughter being bullied had been tormenting her since she had found out about this dance. She knew that Nicky stood out, not wearing a dress like the rest of the girls and attending with Alex. She also knew how cruel kids could be and the thought of someone being mean to her baby made her want to cry.

XXX

Nicky hadn't intended to be bratty, but the moment Galina told her that it would be at least an hour before she got to her, she had hung up the phone. She wasn't used to not having her mother constantly available to her. Before Gloria, she rarely even went out if it didn't include work or herself and her brothers. Nicky didn't want to hear about how she should call her father for a lift, or have to talk about what was bothering her over the phone.

Instead, she decided to just start walking. Down the sidewalk to the main road of town which was entirely deserted. She crossed her bare arms in front of her against the breeze that had cooled considerably once the sun had completely set. Behind her she could hear the echo of music and jovial voices in the gym, and felt a little knot in her stomach at the thought of Alex and her other friends being among them. Nobody had chased after her, maybe they hadn't even noticed she had left yet. The thought made her feel very abandoned.

"Is that you, _Nikita_?"

Coming around the corner, Nicky raised her eyebrows at the sound of her given name coming from the shadows behind a pine tree. She couldn't make out who it was, but the air was thick with the smell of marijuana here and there was a glow from a cell phone.

"Joel?" she guessed.

"What gave me away?" Joel walked around the tree and up the bank to the sidewalk where she stood. He took one final puff before putting his joint out against the bark of the pine tree.

"The smell of weed wafting in the fresh spring breeze," Nicky replied, tucking a strand of her curly hair behind her ear.

"Nothing else to do," Joel shrugged. He pulled out a baggie from the pocket of his leather jacket and waved it at her. "I'd offer you some, but your brothers told me what a tattletale you were after Christmas. Your mom even gave _me _a lecture."

"Well, it doesn't seem to have made much of an impression," Nicky rolled her eyes. "Can you put that stuff away? I don't want to see it."

"Such a good girl," Joel mocked, but he did as she said. Shoving the baggie inside the deep pocket of his scruffy blue jeans. Even if he had ever intended to do more besides loiter outside by himself, Luschek wasn't the type to dress up if he wasn't forced to.

""Why aren't you at the dance with everyone else?" he asked.

"Why aren't you?" Nicky shot back.

"It's lame," Joel replied.

"Or are you just sad that Yuri and Max have dates and you don't?" Nicky teased.

Luschek made a face. "Max taking Daya is just a sympathy date," he protested. "He doesn't even like to dance."

"He seemed pretty happy inside," Nicky smiled. "Happier than me anyway."

"Rough night?" Joel guessed. "Girl trouble?"

"It's just everything," Nicky sighed. "I had enough. I want to go home."

"Where are your parents?" asked Joel.

"Mama isn't going to be back for another hour," Nicky frowned. "And I didn't ask Pop. The last thing I want is his girlfriend trying to mother me or get me to talk about why I'm upset."

"Tammy seems nice," Joel shrugged.

"She is nice," Nicky agreed. "But I like my mom better."

She was loyal to a fault, and even when she was annoyed with Galina, it was always going to be her that she wanted. Galina didn't always have the right answers but Nicky didn't really have any questions about what happened tonight. She just wanted a safe person to lean her head against and take comfort in. Her mother would always be at the top of that list.

"So, you're going to walk the whole way home?" Joel asked. "It's pretty far."

"I've done it loads of time," Nicky said dismissively.

"I could give you a ride on my bike instead," Joel offered.

He motioned for her to wait, and while Nicky stood on the sidewalk with her arms crossed, Joel disappeared for a second into the woods. He remerged a moment later with his red bicycle that he stored out of sight behind a tree when he had to leave it in town.

"You want me to balance on the handlebars?" Nicky asked skeptically.

"You want fall," Joel said confidently. "I can ride slow."

"I guess it's a good thing I didn't wear a dress tonight," Nicky said, as she used her arms to perch herself up onto the handlebars. The night was breezy and a skirt would have blown up once they started gliding. She hadn't chosen her pantsuit with riding a bicycle with Joel Luschek in mind, but at least it was practical.

"Ready?" Joel asked. He was straddling the bicycle and using both his arms to keep it from toppling over. When Nicky nodded, he hopped onto the seat and immediately began to pedal.

The street was completely devoid of traffic. At night, the town became reclusive. The high school kids were all at their dance, and in a few hours, there would be a brief break in the tranquility when they all got in cars to go home, but until then everything was still, quiet, and closed. Even the Tavern would probably be packing it in soon. Except for in the summertime, they tended to play it by ear. If people were coming in, they'd stay open, but usually everyone got to go home early until tourist season began.

Joel pedaled off of the sidewalk and onto the road. The wind was cool on their faces and Nicky wished again that she had brought a sweater. In her pants pocket, she could feel the sound of her phone vibrating as someone texted her, again and again. She couldn't take it out to check it though. She was just one moment's lapse in concentration away from falling off this bike and at the least getting her knees skinned. Galina would be furious if she saw her on a bike with no helmet, but she wasn't here so Nicky could get away with it.

"Whooo!" she laughed. She could feel her heart seeming lighter already. It was too hard to talk much this way, so they didn't. Luschek pedaled through town and then turned on to canopied tree road that led to her home. They were fortunate that it was a smooth road and not to difficult to pedal on. She could tell Joel was getting tired though. It wasn't easy to bike with the extra weight balanced on the front.

"Do you want me to run the rest of the way?" Nicky called loudly.

"No, you're good," Joel replied, picking up his pace just a little more slightly.

"This is probably the hardest I've ever seen you work," Nicky jested.

"Baby, you better believe it," Joel huffed. .

Nicky felt another annoying persisted vibration of her phone. She ignored it and there was a pause. Then it began to hum with the notification that someone was calling this time.

"They're probably going to send out a search party if I don't reply soon," Nicky smiled triumphantly, it was a validation to know that at least they had noticed her absence. She hoped that they missed her and were sad because there was no way they could be having as much fun as they would have with her there. Nicky had always been the life and soul of every party she attended.

"At least, they better hope that it's them-" Nicky let out a yelp as she lost her balance and tumbled from the bicycle as the front wheel hit a groove in the road.

"Are you okay?" Joel asked anxiously. He dismounted his bike and left it fallen over in the dirt.

"Yeah...ugh," Nicky panted. She had had the wind knocked out of her when she fell, but at least she hadn't hit her head. She sat back on her bottom and bent her knee up to examine it. She had torn the leg of her pantsuit and through the rip she could see blood from her scraped up knee. She had also hurt her elbow in the fall too.

"I'm okay," she breathed.

"Do you want me to call for help?" Joel asked.

"No, it's okay," Nicky gritted her teeth. She slowly brought herself up into a standing position. Her leg was burning, but she didn't want to admit it. "We're close to my house. Let's just walk the rest of the way."

"Okay," Joel agreed. His dismounted the bicycle and pushed it alongside him as they walked up the road together. The sky was dark and there were no streetlamps so he kept his bicycle light shining and Nicky held out her cell phone.

"Who is trying to reach you so badly?" Joel asked. "Alex?"

"Yeah…" Nicky sighed, her finger coursing over the screen as she checked out her missed calls and text messages. "Piper and Lorna too, and my brothers. Should I text them back? I don't feel like it."

"And least let one of your brothers know that you're safe so they can pass along the message," Joel advised.

"I'm with you," Nicky wrinkled her nose. "Am I really that safe? You just crashed the bike you were transporting me on."

"That's just because you're clumsy," Joel protested.

"Or we're getting too old for that sort of thing," Nicky winced. She was walking with her right leg straightened, trying not to aggravate her scraped knee that burned with every movement.

At least it distracted her from what was bothering her on the inside. And Joel was always good for taking her mind off of her troubles. He was always fun to be around and they were alike in more ways than they would admit. Still, it was a relief to finally reach the end of their long driveway and see the lights on inside every window. Ignoring her knee, Nicky couldn't resist walking faster now and Joel hopped back on his bike to race ahead to the front porch.

"Hi, you two," they were warmly greeted when they burst through the front door. Sister Ingalls was babysitting the two little boys for Gloria tonight, but she must have been successful at getting them to sleep because neither one was in sight.

"Hi, Sister," Nicky said politely. She kicked off the new navy-blue sandals her mother had bought her to go with her outfit, and Joel slipped out of his dirty sneakers.

"Are you hurt Nicky?" Sister asked concernedly.

"Just a scrape," Nicky waved her off. "I'll go clean it now."

"When you're done, why don't you come join us in the living room?" Sister suggested. "Vasily, Lida, and I are going to have some hot chocolate with marshmallows."

"I could go for that," Joel said nonchalantly.

Sister beamed. "Then come ahead in," she invited him.

Nicky hobbled away. Down the hallway to the bathroom and stared at herself in the mirror. She had worked so hard on applying her makeup before the dance, but now her eyeliner and mascara was smudged around her eyes in a way that she thought looked bold and intentional, even though it was accidental. She sighed, and reached behind her neck to unfasten the buttons down her back. On the third, she shrugged her shoulders out and the jumpsuit fell to the floor, giving Nicky a better look at her scraped knee with the dried blood around it.

"Nicky?"

She would have recognized her mother's distinctive voice anywhere, but it still surprised Nicky to hear it just then. Galina must have sped the whole way home to be there already. The door knob was shook, revealing it was locked.

"Let me in, honey," Galina instructed from the hallway. "Did you hurt yourself?"

"It's just my knee," Nicky said shortly, as she walked over to the door and unlocked it.

Galina opened it a crack just enough to squeeze herself in. Nicky was only wearing her underwear and a grey camisole. She crossed her arms over her chest in a defiant stance, but her mother didn't seem to notice. Her eyes were on Nicky's knee.

"Up on the counter," she urged her.

"It's not that bad," Nicky protested, but her mother pointed her finger at the counter silently and Nicky saw no choice except to obey her. Galina wore reading glasses that she had on a chain around her neck. She perched them on her nose now so that she could examine Nicky's knee more closely.

"Ow-what are you doing?" Nicky yelped.

"Making sure there's no gravel in the cut," Galina murmured.

"I didn't fall on gravel I fell in the dirt," Nicky informed her.

"And is that really any better?" Galina rolled her eyes. "Hold still."

"I'm trying," Nicky groaned. "But this hurts more than even falling off the bike did."

"Falling off a bike," Galina scoffed. "You were supposed to phone your father to give you a ride. I didn't see any helmets around the bike outside either". She opened the medicine cabinet and took out a cotton ball. She wetted it and used that to clean up the dried blood on Nicky's knee.

"I'm going into high school," Nicky reminded her, "ow…."

"And that makes you invincible?" Galina murmured.

"It makes me embarrassed to be seen with a dorky helmet on," Nicky complained. "Besides...I wasn't planning to be on a bike with Luschek of all people tonight."

"No, I'm sure that's not at all what you had planned on" Galina said softly, cleaning off a last bit of dried blood on Nicky's cut. "Are we going to talk about it?"

"Mmm…" Nicky groaned, and she dropped her head, pressing her forehead into her mother's shoulder.

Her sore knee had temporarily made her forget, but her mother's question brought it all back. The disappointment, the sadness, and a little bit of jealousy. Suddenly she felt completely exhausted with the weight of it all. She didn't have the energy to rehash the events of the dance that she had been so excited to attend. Fortunately, Galina seemed to understand and did not press the subject.

She brought her hand up to caress that back of Nicky's head, and Nicky was comforted when she began to comb her fingers through her hair. Gently working out the tangles and giving Nicky a moment to just relax against her shoulder and not worry for a moment. It was an irritation when the spell was broken by a knock at the door.

"Mama?" It was Vasily.

"Yes?" Galina answered.

"Gloria wanted me to tell you that she is going to drive Lida and Joel home now," Vasily said. "I'm going with them. Oh, and Sister Ingalls just left."

"Okay, what about the babies?" Galina asked.

"Both asleep," Vasily replied through the door. "Gotta run."

The sound of his heavy footsteps lessened as he moved away from the door. Galina had half a mind to chase after him to reprimand him for creating a raucous. Benny was temperamental at best, and it didn't take much to get him going. Though, for once he seemed peaceful and slept on.

"He has a crush on Lida," Nicky commented, lifting her head up from Galina's shoulder.

"Really?" Galina said sarcastically. "I never could have figured that out for myself...that cut needs peroxide. Your elbow too. Hold on."

"I predict they'll be dating by the time they start high school," Nicky said, frowning as she twisted her arm around to try and get a good glimpse of her scraped elbow. "And then they'll get married…"

"Well, for now they're just friends," Galina replied, opening up the medicine cabinet and taking out a bottle of peroxide. "And maybe friends are better. Do you think tonight would have been better for you if you had gone just as a group of friends?"

"That is what happened," Nicky said numbly.

"Your other friends were hanging around too much?" Galina guessed. She sprayed a splash of peroxide onto Nicky's knee. The white foam bubbled and she waited patiently for it to do its work.

"I like my friends," Nicky said defiantly. "I just don't count Artesian among them and Alex spent more time talking to her than me tonight."

"Who's Artesian?" Galina asked.

"Artesian McCullough," Nicky huffed. "She's new. They met at summer camp last year but now she moved to town. She made a big show of wanting to "surprise" Alex. It was like I didn't exist."

"So, you felt replaced?" Galina asked sympathetically. She held Nicky by the wrist and extended her arm so that she could spray her elbow more easily.

"I felt stupid," Nicky replied. "That girl wouldn't go away and Alex just didn't care."

"Did you tell Alex how you feel?" Galina asked.

"No, I left," Nicky said bluntly.

"Ah, darling," Galina sighed. She replaced the peroxide in the medicine cabinet and reached for a Band-Aid. "It doesn't seem like Alex meant to hurt your feelings. I'm sure she was disappointed too, but it would have been rude to ignore a girl new to town who doesn't know anybody else yet."

"Alex called my cell like six times once I left," Nicky admitted begrudgingly.

"See? You can't say she didn't care" Galina smiled, peeling back the paper on a large Band-Aid. She stuck it onto knee and then smoothed her hand over it. It was on firmly and Nicky felt very loved and protected right now. She was thirteen years old, perfectly capable of cleaning her own scraped knee and putting on a Band-Aid, but she liked when her mother did those things for her. It made her feel very adored and safe, especially when Galina couldn't resist leaning down to kiss her hurt knee like she had done when she was little. Nicky didn't say anything, but just enjoyed the moment when Galina bandaged her elbow too.

"I'm sorry this night wasn't what you had hoped it would be," Galina said, holding up Nicky's arm and kissing her elbow.

"Do you think I should call her back now?" Nicky asked, sliding off of the bathroom countertop and examining her bandaged arm.

"Up to you," Galina replied, tossing the Band-Aid papers into the garbage. "If I were you, I'd at least send her a text to let her know you're okay. She's probably just as disappointed as you are."

"Maybe," Nicky said uncertainly. "I could tell she was happy to see Artesian though."

"That doesn't mean she likes you any less," Galina said, tucking a curl behind Nicky's ear affectionately. "You're only thirteen. You have a lot of dances ahead of you and I suspect you'll attend them with more than just one person. At least I hope you will."

"You don't like Alex?" Nicky frowned.

"I love Alex," Galina corrected. "And she has been a special friend all your life and I hope that never changes. But I hope you don't get serious with one person this young."

"Like you and Papa?" Nicky smirked.

"Yes," Galina nodded. "Get to know yourself first and just enjoy being young. I'm not saying I regret getting married to the first person and settling down with a family so young, but it's not easy and I want you to have the chance to focus on just being you. Everything else will follow. Okay?"

"Okay," Nicky sighed.

Galina smiled and opened the bathroom door. Together they walked down the hall to Nicky's bedroom. Galina pulled back the covers and Nicky crawled into the bed in just her underwear and cami. She sent a quick text out on her phone, apologizing for storming out but assuring Alex that she was fine and not angry anymore. Maybe they could go to a movie tomorrow? If one of their parents would drive them.

"Feeling a little better?" Galina asked. She took Nicky's phone from her and set in on the nightstand. Then she perched herself on the edge of the bed. Nicky nodded sleepily and Galina affectionately pulled her covers up a little bit higher and tucked them in around them.

"I'm so glad you're my mom," Nicky whispered.

"Well, that's good," Galina smiled. "Because I wouldn't have it any other way."

**Thank you wallscollide, guest, Johanna-002, vausesandspanishharlem, Juliette, and A Star in My Universe. **

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	25. Chapter 25

Gloria couldn't wipe the smile from her face as she pedaled home from work. Her handbag was in the basket of the bicycle and though she had been concentrating on keeping her eyes firmly focused on the road, she kept stealing glances down at the white oversized envelope poking out of it. The papers inside had been read and then re-read countless times that day, as Gloria fought to overcome her disbelief. She had given up hope months ago that this would ever even happen, but there it was in black and white. Finally.

As she sorted through the town's incoming mail for the day, Gloria had probably shifted through every single emotion that was imaginable. She should be happy and relieved, but the profound sense of freedom a single piece of paper could invoke surprised her. Technically, nothing was going to change; husband or not, Arturo hadn't been in her life in almost a year. He didn't know he had a son and Lourdes hadn't heard from him in ages. Yet, the unexpected arrival of signed divorced papers was like a huge invisible weight suddenly being lifted off of her shoulders.

She could hardly wait to tell Galina. Wanting to give the good news in person, she had restrained herself from calling all day. She had needed to share the news with Rosa though, so she wouldn't explode. The older woman had become a dear friend in the time she had been training Gloria to take over. Once she officially retired, they would move the office into Galina's house, but for now Rosa was still hanging on, and she had been good about Gloria taking a week off to attend her cousin's wedding.

As she turned her bicycle into the driveway, Gloria began pedaling faster and though it didn't seem possible, her smiling face brightened even more. The muscles in her cheek twitched as she looked ahead at her good fortune. Life couldn't get much better than this.

When she reached the porch steps, Gloria dismounted the bicycle and smoothed down the navy blue skirt she wore in the office. She snatched her bag from the basket and sprinted into the house with an energy that was usually lacking after a full day's work. Right now, she just felt like dancing.

"Where's Mama?" Gloria demanded, hurrying through the house until she happened upon all the older kids lounging in the living room. As usual, they had friends over. Alex was stretched across the floor using Nicky's suitcase as a headrest, Joel had his feet on the coffee table, and Lida was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, peeling an orange that she had probably helped herself to.

"She's putting Julio and Benny down for a nap," Vasily answered, swiping a piece of orange off Lida's plate. She made a face at him and angled herself away, protectively covering the rest of her orange slices with her arm.

"Hey!" she protested. "I asked you if you wanted something from the kitchen."

"I wasn't hungry then," Vasily replied.

Lida rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "It was five minutes ago…"

"Aren't you guys supposed to be packing?" Gloria interrupted, pressing the envelope she was carrying close to her heart. She had fully expected to be immediately hit with a wave of fresh chaos amplified by the pressured of organizing for a week away. Though the room was filled with the kids' suitcases, backpacks, and duffel bags, they all appeared to be empty.

"We're getting there," Nicky shrugged, glancing around the room noncommittally. She caught Alex's eye and smiled. They seemed to have resolved all their differences, at least from where Gloria stood. She couldn't tell if they'd gone back to just being friends or not, but Alex had been by nearly everyday that week.

"You've been trying to get there since lunch," Alex pointed out, playfully nudging Nicky with her foot.

"Whose side are you on?" Nicky complained, exhaling loudly. "It's like you want me to go…"

"No, I don't," Alex reassured her. "I'll miss you. Piper is having that slumber party this weekend and it won't be half as much fun without you there making us laugh all night."

Nicky made a face. "I'd forgotten I was going to miss that," she sighed. "That sucks."

"I thought you were looking forward to our trip to Florida?" Gloria said. Though she was eager to go find Galina, she took a step deeper into the room. "I think we're going to have so much fun."

"I am," Nicky reassured her.

"I'm not," Vasily voiced.

"You're not?" Gloria raised her eyebrows at him.

Vasily shook his head. "Mama said no to Disneyland."

"I know she did, Buddy," Gloria gave him a sympathetic smile. "We talked about it, remember? It's just a bit out of the way and we aren't really going to have the time. Not to mention the cost for a family this size…"

Gloria's kids were still young enough she'd be able to get them in for free, but taking all four of her kids to Disney Land was an expense Galina couldn't undertake right now when she was newly divorced and had already splurged on plane tickets.

"We're going to be right by the ocean," Gloria tried to entice him. "You can go swimming."

"I can go swimming here," Vasily pointed out. He reached over and tried to swipe another slice of orange from Lida's bowl, but she was too quick for him this time, smacking his hand away. "I wish you could come."

"Even when I hit you?" Lida asked, though she glanced up hopefully at Gloria. "Maybe I could. Sam would probably buy me a ticket."

Gloria wasn't sure what to say so she pretended not to have heard. She tapped her fingers against her envelope. "Your mom is going to be mad," she spoke to Galina's four. "I heard her tell you all at breakfast to be ready by the time I got home."

"That was before Benny fell asleep," Yuri said. 'We're not going anywhere until he wakes up."

"Well, would you want to wake him before you have to?" Maxim smiled.

"Definitely not," Joel said. "He's kind of a jerk, isn't he? Being carried around like a little prince giving everyone the evil eye."

"Watch it," Gloria said warningly. "That's only okay when I say it."

"But is it wrong?" Joel pressed. "This afternoon he just stared at Mrs. Reznikov and screamed like a banshee until she picked him up, and there was nothing wrong with him."

"He's a baby," Alex reminded him. "That's what they all do…"

"Well, I'm glad I'm an only child," Joel said.

"You're an only child because your mom didn't want to risk having another one just like you," Nicky chuckled. "I could almost feel sorry for her."

"Feel sorry for yourself, if you're not packed and ready to go by the time I get back here," Gloria shook her head. "And keep the noise down. If anyone wakes Benny up, you're volunteering to babysit." She turned to walk down the hall but paused when she felt someone hurrying out behind her.

"I could babysit him for you," Lida offered eagerly. "Mrs. Reznikov let me hold him today and he likes me."

"I'm sure he does, _mami_," Gloria said, subconsciously rolling her envelope into a scroll.

"I could take care of Julio too," Lida pressed on. "Vasily would help me. You heard him say that he wants me to go."

"I know, dear," Gloria said. "But if you came, then all the kids would want to bring a friend and that's just too many people."

"Yeah, but-"

"I'll talk about it with Galina," Gloria interjected, "If it's alright with her, then it's alright with me."

Gloria watched her walk back to rejoin the others with her shoulders slightly hunched, and then she turned to go down the hall to the bedroom. She opened the door ever so slowly and her heart surged at the sight within. Benny was sleeping in the crib with Galina's hand squeezed through the rails and resting protectively on his tummy. Her eyes were closed, and tucked between her and the crib, was Julio, snuggled so close he was almost hard to make out. The television was on to a children's channel, that seemed to have successfully lulled them all asleep.

Gloria placed her divorce papers on top of the dresser and then unzipped her skirt, letting it fall to the floor. She kept her eyes on Galina and the children as she began undoing the tiny buttons down the front of her blouse. She had finished her own packing the previous night, which wasn't an easy feat when one considered the supplies needed for two little ones. She was just grateful that Lourdes had been able to borrow a crib and car seats for both boys so that those didn't need to be packed. Still though, they were bringing a lot of stuff.

Gloria slipped on a comfy pair of grey yoga pants and a turquoise t-shirt for the plane. Drinking in the sight of Galina, she had to smile. She was wearing a blue dress that Gloria loved on her, but she couldn't imagine having to sit on an airplane for hours in it. She, herself, felt like it was enough of a sacrifice to be in active wear. If she had thought Galina would have let her out of the house in them, Gloria would have taken no issue with wearing her pajamas to the airport.

Tiptoeing up to the side of the bed, Gloria climbed up on her knees and ever so gently plucked at the sleeve of Galina's dress with her thumb and index finger. "My pretty," she whispered, "my wife?" she rolled the word over her tongue, trying it out and decided she liked it. Though it was much too soon, she still had to file the paperwork before she'd officially be divorced, the possibilities seemed infinite and she liked that she'd soon have that option. There was no question in Gloria's mind that the rest of her life needed to be spent beside this woman.

"Wife?" she tried again. She crawled her fingers up the sleeve and over Galina's shoulder until she finally reached the bare skin at her collarbone and stopped there.

"I really like you, you know," she whispered. She carefully laid down, nestling close and resting her head against Galina's chest. On Galina's other side she could make out the form of Julio still sound asleep.

"I like you too," Galina murmured groggily, still with her eyes closed. The corners of her mouth had tugged into a small smile though, and it was clear she had been listening.

"Hi, you," Gloria whispered, stroking her thumb across Galina's cheek.

"Hi," Galina whispered back. She opened her eyes just slightly to peer at her. "How was work?" she yawned.

"Amazing," Gloria said automatically, causing Galina to open her eyes more fully to stare at her suspiciously. "Probably the best day ever."

"Huh?"

"You want me to show you something that is going to make you so happy?" Gloria asked jubilantly.

Galina still looked confused but slightly nodded her head. "Okay…"

Gloria leaned forward to briefly kiss her lips, then she slid back off of the bed. She was trying to be quiet and not disturb the kids, but she had a bounce in her step as she thudded excitedly over to the dresser where she had left her envelope. Not that it would matter much, they needed to get on the road in no less than an hour, but both boys were ready to be put in the car. Galina had bathed them and dressed them in cotton footed pajamas that would be nice for travelling. The scent of baby lotion was strong in the air.

"Read these," Gloria commanded, coming back over to the bed and plopping the white envelope onto Galina's lap.

Galina sat up in the bed, trying not to jostle either boy. She reached for her reading glasses on the bedside table and perched them on her nose before she withdrew the papers, while Gloria watched on impatiently. Galina's eyes scanned over the page, and then flickered back and forth as she reread again a few more times.

When she finally looked back up at Gloria, there was a smirk on her lips. "So, do we need to get matching frames?"

Gloria let out a squeal of happiness and took Galina's face in both of her hands before she kissed her again. This time more passionately, as they both leaned in, savouring their tastes, and enjoying the fact that the two little boys were sleeping and the others were so occupied they'd be unlikely to knock on the door and force them to break apart.

"What do you think incited him to do that?" Galina asked, when they finally came up for air.

"Don't know, don't care," Gloria shrugged. "Taystee just had these sent to me. He signed and didn't dispute anything."

"What's there to dispute?" Galina asked sarcastically. "The clothes you wore on your back when you fled the house?"

"The baby I'm hiding," Gloria said dully.

A stricken look suddenly flashed across Galina's face. "He'll never know," she stammered.

"Hopefully," Gloria said skeptically. There were too many uncertainties. Signed divorce papers severed their marriage, but there was one thing that would always bind them; their son. Even if Arturo never learned about him from Gloria, there was always the potential for one of the boys to look him up someday when they grew older. Or another chance encounter like Gloria had nearly experienced at the hotel Arturo worked at.

"He let you go," Galina said, holding the divorce papers back out for Gloria to take. "Signing these without you taking him to court and forcing his hand; that tells me he has moved on too. He isn't going to try to bother you anymore...he's probably found a new woman to terrorize by now."

Gloria squinted at her. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"It's not your problem anymore," Galina reminded her. "Worrying and wondering isn't going to make anything better."

"I feel relieved," Gloria admitted. She returned the papers to their envelope and then walked over to the bureau and slipped it into the top drawer.

Galina gave her an encouraging nod. "Now you're really all mine," she teased. Slipping out of the bed she walked over to stand behind Gloria. She wrapped her arms around her waist and clasped her hands together over Gloria's stomach. "We need to celebrate."

"We are," Gloria smiled, covering Galina's hands with her own. "We're about to leave for a week down by the ocean. Maybe Lourdes will even be nice, once the wedding madness is over, and watch the kids so I can spend some time alone with you."

"A walk on the beach?" Galina suggested, kissing the back of Gloria's neck. "Drinking champagne on a boat?"

"Whatever you want," Gloria nodded.

"I'm excited," Galina admitted. "I've only been on an airplane once in my life and my kids have never been. They can't wait."

"Vasily can," Gloria suddenly remembered.

"Oh?"

Gloria nodded. "Because you're not taking him to Disney world and he wants Lida to come. Lida cornered me in the hall and practically begged me to let her come with."

"Poor girl," Galina sympathized. "She still hasn't adjusted to Healy or living here. What did you say?"

"That I needed to ask you," Gloria smirked. "I didn't feel like being the bad guy."

"What if I don't feel like being a bad guy?" Galina asked. "What's one more? If it's alright with her parents and they are willing to pay her way."

"I think we've got enough to worry about," Gloria reminded her. She nodded her head back in the direction of the two sleeping little boys. "Do you think they'll be raving the whole time on the plane since they're napping now?"

"No," Galina murmured. "They'd be worse if we allowed them to get overtired. At least if they're awake, they'll be happy."

"If you say so," Gloria whispered.

"I say so," Galina said softly, and she turned her head to kiss the side of Gloria's neck. "I think him finally signing those papers means I don't ever have to feel guilty about doing this." And she kissed her in the same spot again.

Gloria turned to look at her with raised eyebrows. "Is that what's been holding you back?"

"Maybe? No," Galina shook her head. "Pregnancy, childbirth, baby…"

"Okay, true," Gloria agreed. "It's been a lot."

Slow and steady had been the motto of their relationship thus far. At least in a physical sense. They had been living together since their first meeting, Gloria had witnessed the end of Galina's marriage, slowly fell in love with her, and now felt like Julio and Benny were as much Galina's as they were hers. They shared parenting the boys and laid in bed beside one another every night. Yet there was still more of one another to explore. As settled as they'd fallen into being, this love story was really just getting started.

"Maybe this week?" Galina suggested softly. "If we can find the time and space to be alone."

"I'll make sure of it," Gloria smiled. She turned around in Galina's arms and kissed her lips gently. "Promise."

"Did you notice if the kids are packed?" Galina asked.

"Mmm," Gloria hummed. "You may need to go yell at them all in another minute if we're going to get out the door in time."

"Honestly?" Galina rolled her eyes. "I gave them one job…"

"They were all living their best life when I got home," Gloria informed her. "You couldn't imagine a more relaxed group of people."

"I'm happy to see Alex," Galina admitted. "I'd hate if Nicky lost her friend."

"I don't think you ever need to worry about that," Gloria said. "Those girls are tight, no matter what happens. Blanca and I used to be like that. She was one of the only family members who didn't get on my nerves."

"I'm looking forward to meeting your people," Galina said. "Blanca, is she like you?"

"Not in the least," Gloria shook her head. "But I think you and her will probably hit it off. Diablo is a pretty great guy too. Surprisingly. Nobody really wanted him to stick around when Blanca first brought him home, but he grows on you."

"He is going to make us worship the devil on his wedding day?" Galina asked skeptically.

"I think it will be just a normal wedding," Gloria laughed. "Lourdes is already distressed enough that it isn't happening in a church, so they aren't going to do anything else to push her over the edge."

"And I expected you to be the rebellious one in your family," Galina said.

"I'm the one who doesn't show up for family occasions," Gloria said, sounding almost proud. "Everyone can't get over their shock that I'm coming this time, but I wanted to show you off."

"Really?" Galina asked.

"Mhmm," Gloria nodded. "Not to mention that if I don't take the baby to see Lourdes, she will probably fly out and wind up staying a month."

"Well…" Galina chuckled. "She grows on you too, but I'm glad we're going there this time."

"Ma!" Nicky's voice called loudly down the hall. She turned the doorknob and let herself into the bedroom.

"Shhh," Galina hissed, nodding sharply towards the crib. "Babies."

"Yeah, ok," Nicky said indifferently. "But don't we have to leave now anyway? Also, Mr. Healy is here and Lida is bugging him to let her say, so you better go tell her no now, because if Vasily gets to bring a friend then I'm inviting Alex."

"Don't be rude," Galina frowned. Benny had started to stir in his crib and Galina pointed her finger in his direction. "Help Gloria get the boys in the car, since you're so concerned about leaving. I'll go talk to Sam."

"Tell him no," Nicky called back, as her mother walked out into the hallway.

"Here, Nicky," Gloria said brightly. With Benny cooing in her arms, Gloria strided across the room and passed him into the girl's reluctant arms. Benny immediately let out a loud wail of protest, and arched his back up in the air and screamed.

"Be a dear, and buckle him into his car seat for me," Gloria instructed brightly, "and I'll go warm a bottle for you to give him."

"Okay, fine," Nicky sighed, wrinkling her nose at Benny, who used this moment to reach out and yank her hair as hard as he could. Nicky yelped and tried to pry the tiny fist from around her hair. "But I'm not sitting beside him on the airplane. I already fought my brothers for the window seat and won, so I don't want anything to ruin my first flight."

"God forbid," Gloria said with a wry smile. She went to the bed and picked Julio up with both arms. He stayed asleep, resting his head against her shoulder and brought his fingers into his mouth to slurp on.

"Gross," said Nicky, turning to lead the way out of the bedroom with Benny making direct eye contact with his mother over her shoulder. He was kicking with an urgency to get back to her, which made Gloria feel so loved she kind of enjoyed it.

Without anyone having to yell, the kids had all packed their bags and loaded them into the van. They were going to be packed in there like sardines, and there wouldn't have been room to bring friends with them anyway, unless Healy had felt like driving Lida behind them. Which was what Galina was pointing out, as she hugged the girl goodbye and promised to try to bring her sea shells.

"Next time we go you can come," Galina soothed, her arm around Lida's shoulder as she walked her to Healy's idling car. "When we have more time to plan. Maybe we'll try to plan a trip to Disneyland in a year or two, and we'll go together."

"I wish we could have done that this time instead of going to a wedding for people we don't even know," Vasily complained.

"Family you just haven't met yet," Gloria said, walking up behind them with Julio in her arms so she could buckle him into the car. "This thing works both ways."

Despite the stress and enormous undertaking of travelling with all these kids, Gloria was very happy to be doing this. She had taken Galina's family on like her own. Made friends with the ex-husband and his girlfriend, bonded with the kids, and acclimated to her life. The house she lived in was always going to be more Galina's than hers, and she accepted that, but she considered blending her own relatives into this new family as a way to balance things a little bit more.

Being in Galina's world had inspired Gloria to put more of an effort in with her aunt and cousins and she was eager to get going. She rushed through the last minute going away tasks with a smile on her face. Fixing Benny a bottle, checking all the appliances were turned off, and that the doors were locked. The kids all said goodbye to their friends and then loaded into the van. When Galina hopped up into the driver's seat and rested her hand briefly on Gloria's thigh, Gloria could tell that this trip meant just as much to her.

**Sorry for the delay in writing this chapter. I'll try to get the next chapter up a lot sooner. Thank you for reviewing wallscollide, galinareznikovlove, Juliette, A Star in My Universe, Johanna-002, and vausesandspanishharlem. I really value your thoughts and ideas. **


	26. Chapter 26

It had been a relief to touch down in Florida, but it was still well after midnight by the time they arrived at Lourdes' house. Gloria's aunt met them at the door in a purple robe and a smile, but nobody could muster more than a few words of conversation before she led them upstairs to go to bed. Everybody was tired and had fallen asleep almost as soon as their heads hit the pillow. This was a relief, as Gloria had been worried that the tight quarters and being in a new place would keep all the kids up.

She had decided to put Nicky and her brothers in Blanca's old bedroom. There was a double bed in there that two of them could sleep on, and though there was some minor disgruntlement about who would share the bed and who would get a cot, they hadn't heard a sound across the hall all night. Julio hadn't stirred when they'd carried him into the house and laid him between them, and even Benny had had a fairly uneventful night in the crib Lourdes had put in the room for his use.

He jolted Gloria awake with his cries when it was nearly six, but she had been swift to take him downstairs before he disturbed anyone else. His bright alert eyes diminished any hope his mother had about returning him to his crib once he had his bottle. Benny looked ready to greet the day, as he stared around taking in his new environment, and when Lourdes called out a good morning from the corner of the kitchen where she was drinking her coffee, Gloria nearly jumped out of her skin.

Her aunt had always been an early riser when Gloria had been growing up, so this shouldn't have been too much of a surprise. Lourdes asked if she could be the one to feed Benny his bottle, and then laid him on a blanket on the floor with some different toys to play with. Benny had recently learned how to roll over and back again, and took every opportunity to practice his new skill. He babbled happily to himself as he stretched his hand out for a plastic rattle, while Gloria stirred sugar into her coffee and listened to her aunt fill her in on all the wedding gossip and everything she had been doing in preparation.

"What else needs to be done?" Gloria had asked. "I can help." She knew if she had still lived here and kept in better contact with her cousin, that she probably would have been Blanca's maid of honour. Even if they weren't as close as they used to be, she still felt like helping to make sure her wedding day went off without a hitch. Being in such a wonderful relationship of her own now had rekindled Gloria's romantic heart.

"I'm glad to hear you say that because there's still much to be done," Lourdes said, draining the last sips from her coffee mug while Gloria eyed her skeptically.

Lourdes pushed her chair back from the table and flashed her niece a small smile. "Are eggs okay?"

"Are you giving me breakfast options? No, 'make it yourself' or 'take it or leave it?'" Gloria teased. As her aunt walked around to the refrigerator, Gloria slid from her chair and up onto a bar stool by the counter so she could be closer. "You're getting soft in your old age."

"I just need you energized for all the running around you're going to do for me today," Lourdes smirked. She set a carton of eggs on the counter and then pulled a ceramic bowl out from under the sink. "Remember that you offered."

Gloria raised her eyebrows at her. "What do you have in mind?"

"I need you to go check in at the bakery and the florist," Lourdes instructed, as she began cracking eggs into the bowl.

"Okay," Gloria said. That didn't sound so bad. "And bring everything here?"

"No, the wedding isn't until tomorrow," Lourdes replied.

"So why can't I wait to go there until tomorrow?" Gloria yawned.

"Why would you want to wait until the morning of the wedding to discover any problems with the cake or the flowers?" Lourdes demanded. "When it's too late to do anything about them?"

"How am I supposed to notice any problems?" Gloria asked. "I wasn't there when you and Blanca planned this wedding. They show me a cake or a flower, I'll give them my thumbs up. How am I supposed to know if it's right?"

"Just call me if you have any concerns," Lourdes said absentmindedly, beginning to crack the eggs into the bowl. "Make sure you like the little flower pillow I picked out for Julio."

"You know, you could have told me that you planned for him to be the ring bearer," Gloria complained, linking her fingers together and stretching her arms back. "I could have bought him a nicer to suit."

"You didn't even tell us you were coming until the last minute," Lourdes reminded her.

"That's why I'm surprised he has a role in the wedding," Gloria said. "I hope you didn't bump some other kid out of the position because you like Julio more."

"Nonsense," Lourdes scoffed, sounding entirely unconvincing. "What other kid?"

"Don't you always have a bunch of random kids running in and out of here?" Gloria demanded.

"They're not random kids," Lourdes replied. "They're your cousins."

"Whatever," said Gloria. "You didn't ask one of them to be the ring bearer first, did you?"

Lourdes smiled. "Don't you think Julio will do a good job?" she asked, changing the subject. "He's so sweet and friendly..."

"Just like me?" Gloria winked.

Lourdes rolled her eyes. "I think this one has more you in him" she said, tapping her toe close to the blanket where Benny was rolling. He reached out a pudgy little baby fist to try and touch her socks.

"He's a high-maintenance baby," Gloria said, looking down at her son. "Well, you are," she told him.

"I wonder where he got that from?" Lourdes asked sarcastically.

"He doesn't sleep," Gloria informed her. "He is not me. I love to sleep."

"You like to laze around," Lourdes corrected, picking out a whisk to begin mixing the eggs.

"Say that to someone who didn't spend three hours walking the aisle of a crowded airplane with a baby in their arms," Gloria made a face. "He screamed when ever I sat down."

"That's because you spoil him," Lourdes said.

"No," Gloria shook her head. "Galina spoils him."

"I have no doubt," Lourdes remarked. She set the bowl down and opened the cabinet where she kept her spice rack. Cayenne and chives, Gloria licked her lips as she watched her aunt add a dash of each to the bowl and stir them in.

"It's been awhile since I've had them like that," Gloria said. Though she would vehemently deny it if anyone ever asked, she did find the way Galina made her eggs to just be a tiny bit bland. She didn't even add milk half the time, but Lourdes kitchen was always lush with strong flavours.

"There's no other way," Lourdes said, reaching for a frying pan to heat on the stove with a small dash of olive oil in its center. "Can Benny try some with us?"

"Maybe a tiny taste," Gloria replied. "He hasn't tried many solids yet. He just wants his bottles."

"If you gave him real food, he might sleep better for you," Lourdes said. She tipped her bowl into the frying pan to pour out some of the seasoned egg to cook.

"Yeah, but then you wouldn't get the pleasure of our company at this early hour," Gloria said, pursing her lips down at Benny who was growing tired of his independent play and beginning to fuss.

"You expect me to accomplish everything on your to-do list with that little terror in tow?" Gloria raised her eyebrows at her aunt.

"Speaking of mounting lists," Lourdes chuckled. "I almost forgot that I need you to drop off Blanca's veil and shoes at her apartment because she wants to get ready there now."

"I don't blame her," Gloria scoffed. "I might go get dressed over there myself. I wouldn't mind having one morning where I don't have a bunch of kids knocking on the bathroom door."

"Someday you'll miss it," Lourdes said.

"Probably," Gloria admitted with a small smile. "But Galina and I already talked about travelling together someday or getting an apartment in the city when the kids are all grown."

"That's the beauty of having somebody," Lourdes replied. "The kids growing up and moving away isn't the end of your life, it's just the beginning of the next chapter. Those things aren't so much fun to do when you're alone." She sighed, and Gloria's brow creased as she considered her aunt for a moment.

For the first time she wondered if her aunt was lonely. It seemed insane; Lourdes was surrounded by people every single day. Their family basically made up this entire block. Her daughter only lived about ten minutes away and Lourdes was active in the church, worked, and had several friends. It would never occur to Gloria to think her aunt might miss having somebody special to share her life with. She had been single the entire time Gloria had known her. But before she could ask this most personal of questions, Lourdes changed the subject.

"You know that Blanca is hoping to get pregnant soon?"

"Good for her," Gloria said. She thought her cousin and Diablo would make wonderful parents. Their kids wouldn't be restricted by the same level of strictness and unnecessary rules that Lourdes had always imposed, though she had come a long way since then. Her aunt would never have been able to accept Diablo or Galina into the family at one time, but she did now and that was what mattered.

"You'll have to come visit more often then so that the kids can play with their cousin," Lourdes told her gently.

"I know that and I'm trying," Gloria said. She reached down to pick up Benny whose cries had risen another octave. Standing up, Gloria bounced him on her hip. "I moved heaven and earth to come for the wedding because I wanted to."

"That's good," Lourdes murmured, selecting a spatula from the container on the counter so she could stir the eggs.

Gloria nodded and stepped a little bit closer to her aunt. "I feel like things in my life are finally falling into place the way they always were meant to be," she proceeded to say. "And I don't feel like I need to hide from the past anymore.

She took a deep breath and came out with it. "Arturo finally signed the papers. My lawyer forwarded them to me."

"He did?" Lourdes gaped, whirling around and placing one hand holding the spatula against her hip. "Hallelujah! Praise the lord!" she exclaimed.

"I was pretty happy about it too," Gloria laughed.

"But why didn't you tell me that as soon as you got here?" Lourdes demanded.

"Gloria shrugged. "I don't know...it was late? And I didn't want to bring it up in front of Julio. I don't want him to think about him."

"But what made Arturo finally cave?" Lourdes asked sharply. "I didn't think he would ever let you go."

"I don't know," Gloria shrugged again. "I was hoping you might know something."

"No, he hasn't called here in months," Lourdes reminded her. "You don't think this could just be some ploy in that sick, twisted, skull of his to get you to drop your guard down, do you?"

"Tia!" Gloria exclaimed, laughing a little nervously now. "Do you think that?"

"I'm not sure," Lourdes said, poking at her eggs with the tip of her spatula. She peered at Gloria through squinted eyes, considering her. "Whatever you do, _don't _call him," she warned. "That's probably what he is hoping you'll do."

"Alright, you're scaring me," Gloria said.

"Now that you think he is gone for good," Lourdes continued, as though Gloria hadn't spoken. "He might think you'll tell him where you live now or whatever, and that would expose Benny too."

"Tia-" Gloria stammered, tightening her hold on Benny in her arms. Lourdes eyes darted between them both.

"Oh, don't worry _Florescita_," she said, attempting to sound soothing. "It's just as likely that he found a new woman to abuse."

"That's what Galina said," Gloria adjusted her son in her arms and felt a quick burn in her throat at the thought of it. She could believe that Arturo could charm his way into another woman's bed and life, the same way she had fallen for it. A part of her wondered if he could possibly change and have a healthy relationship with somebody someday. Maybe her leaving had taught him an important lesson. Or maybe he was just preying on another victim.

"Take Galina with you when you go," Lourdes said. "I'll keep an eye on her kids. I'm sure I can find something to entertain teenagers," she nodded at Benny. "And then I'll see if I can undo some of those bad habits he's learned."

"How nice of you," Gloria rolled her eyes "I suppose if you're going to spend your day fixing our baby, I probably should take Galina far away from you. Unless you want a fight?"

"I thought you two just might want some time to yourself," Lourdes said generously. "That must be hard to come by."

"You're telling me," Gloria said, thinking back on their simple date to dinner and a movie, which had required tons of planning ahead and had still ultimately been interrupted when Nicky had called looking for her mother. "Thanks, Tia."

XXX

Time just the two of them was hard won and very much appreciated. Galina had jumped at the chance to run errands alone with Gloria and had been quick to inform her kids what the plan for the day was. There was an outdoor pool just around the corner from Lourdes' house and she gave all four permission to go to it, provided they stayed together as a group and that Yuri and Maxim watched out for their younger siblings. Lourdes was going to have her hands full with Julio and Benny.

"Do we need to hurry?" Galina asked, tucking her hand in the crook of Gloria's elbow as they walked from Lourdes' car to the apartment building where Blanca and her fiancé lived.

"No," Gloria scoffed, adjusting the garment bag and the shoes she was carrying in her left arm. "She has been waiting to get the baby to herself. We get home too fast and she'll probably make up more things she needs us to do just to get rid of us."

"I'm not complaining," Galina smiled, and squeezed Gloria's arm affectionately. The air was hot to breathe in and the air conditioning was heavenly when she opened the door to the apartment lobby. "This is a nice building," she remarked.

"They have a pretty successful construction company," Gloria said. "They built it from the ground up themselves. Diablo had offered to give Arturo a job working for him if we had ever decided to move here."

"Did you tell your aunt about him?" Galina asked.

"Yes," Gloria nodded, pushing on the elevator button that would take them up to the seventh floor. It opened automatically and they both stepped inside. "She was happy for me, obviously. A little bit worried about his motives…"

"As am I," Galina said, shooting Gloria an anxious look. "What does she think about him doing this so out of the blue?"

"She said the same thing as you," Gloria replied, selecting their floor number as the doors slid closed. "That he probably found someone new." She hesitated. "Or she thinks he is trying to pull me into a false sense of security."

Galina bit down on her bottom lip. "Is he?" she asked.

"So, what if he is?" Gloria shrugged, "I'm not about to mail him a thank you note with a return address or suggest we have dinner. Now…" she was eager to change the subject. "I've warned you before that Blanca and Diablo can be a little bit eccentric, but I promise you that you're going to love them."

The elevator arrived at their floor and both women got out together. They walked down the grey carpeted hall and counted the numbers on the door until they found 716. Inside they could hear heavy metal music playing at a volume that Galina would never have permitted in her house, if she tolerated that sort of music at all. Since they wouldn't be able to hear a knock at the door, Gloria tried the knob and discovered it had been left open. As they let themselves into the apartment, a waft of marijuana hit their noses.

"This is Lourdes' daughter?" Galina asked in amazement. She startled as a white bulldog with big brown spots rushed at them barking gruffly and wagging his tail.

"Hi, Mojito," Gloria greeted the dog, leaning down and extending her hand for him to sniff. "Do you remember me?" she asked, scratching him behind the ear.

She smiled back up at Galina. "They're fun people," she assured her, straightening back up. "Do you want a light? They always share."

"What would I tell my kids?" Galina laughed nervously, closing the door behind them. Thinking back to Christmas and how she had disciplined Nicky and the boys for the very same thing Gloria was offering.

Gloria walked over to the kitchen table and set the wedding things down. Though she had never been to their new place, nothing seemed to surprise her. The place was immaculately clean with contrasting aesthetics to showcase the multidimensional qualities of its residents. The balcony off the kitchen had several pots with flowers in full bloom. The refrigerator door was covered in selfies of the happy couple and the living room walls had weird and colourful posters that confused Galina, but she could see what Gloria meant about them being an interesting blend.

"Where are they?" she asked.

"Dunno...maybe the bedroom?" Gloria smirked. "Do you want to go check?"

"No," said Galina.

"Let's have a seat," Gloria suggested. "Blanca texted and told me to make ourselves at home."

"If they knew we were on our way, why would they decide to have sex right now?" Galina said.

"Maybe they don't have your level of restraint," Gloria raised her eyebrows suggestively. She gripped Galina's arm and pulled her down to the couch. "But it also means that they cannot judge me if they walk out to us doing this…" And she fell back against the couch cushions, pulling Galina down on top of her.

"I don't have that much restraint," Galina protested. It felt awkward to be lying on someone else's couch, kneeling over Gloria with more sexual suggestion than she usually even displayed in the privacy of her own home, but there it was.

"You could fool me," Gloria said, stroking Galina's hair out of her eyes. "There's always time if we want to make it. Until they moved here, Diablo and Blanca were living in the same house as Lourdes."

"That must have been uncomfortable," Galina said.

"They used to have sex when Lourdes would be taking a shower," Gloria said. "And Blanca told me one time they did it upstairs when Lourdes had all her church lady friends over to play bridge...they're crazy," Gloria said fondly.

Galina kissed her lips. "These are your people?"

"Mhmm," Gloria nodded proudly. "I swear, I feel very boring when I compare myself to her."

"Compare yourself to who?" A tall, thin, woman with long, dark, curly hair came walking out of the bedroom dressed in nothing but an oversized men's dress shirt that was much too large on her.

"You kept us waiting," Gloria said calmly, ignoring the way Galina had pulled away from her as though she'd been electrically shocked. "So, we had to find ways to amuse ourselves."

She pushed the palms of her hands into her thighs as she stood up. "Congratulations!" she exclaimed, wrapping her cousin in a tight hug. "Are you happy to see me?"

"It feels like I'm seeing a ghost," Blanca replied in Spanish, leaning down to rest her chin on Gloria's shoulder. "I didn't think you were ever coming back!"

"Well, you know that planes fly both ways," Gloria reminded her gently. "You guys have to come visit us next."

"Right," Blanca nodded. "Ma did say that it was beautiful where you are, although the winters and remoteness, I don't think I could live there like you do."

"_Gloria! Como estas?_" A big man walked into the room and pulled Gloria into a warm embrace. His thick mane of long, black, wavy hair hung down his back and his hands were the size of baseball mitts. He was wearing a wife beater that showed off the tattoos all down his arms. He would have been frightening looking, were it not for his kind eyes and the warm smile on his face.

"Better than ever," Gloria said, pulling back to rest a hand on the small of Galina's back. "Galina, this is Blanca and Diablo," she introduced, as they all shook hands. "Tia wanted us to bring by your veil and shoes, but really we're also just here so that we can hide from our kids."

"You two are so lucky to have such a full house," Diablo said, wrapping his arm around Blanca, high enough that his hand was nearly cupping her breast. "I hope we're that lucky soon."

"Lourdes told me," Gloria smiled. "How many do you want to have?"

"Hopefully one of each," Blanca replied, and the couple exchanged a knowing look. "But we'll keep going until we have a girl."

"This family could use some more girls to even things out," Gloria said, feeling a sudden internal wince.

She reached out automatically for Galina's hand and squeezed it. She was doing better. Watching Daya go through the throttles of her unplanned teenage pregnancy had helped her put things into perspective. She wasn't angry, she had made her peace. There was nothing left to do except continue living her life and hope someday her twin daughters would find their way back to her. Though it would probably always be something of a blow to the diaphragm to think about their boy heavy family and the way that everyone considered Nicky to be the only girl, when really there were three.

"So, I hear you're more traditional that we thought," Gloria changed the subject, sitting back down and resting Galina's hand comfortably on her lap. She had nothing to hide and was so appreciative of being able to introduce her girlfriend into this fold and not feel the need to hide her affection for her. "That wedding veil is very demure."

"She looks like a queen in it," Diablo said, sitting down on the couch and pulling Blanca onto his lap. Nobody could miss the way his hands tucked underneath the large shirt to rest on his fiancé's bare skin. They were completely unabashedly open, and Galina could easily imagine them being the sort of people to have sex upstairs when Lourdes was hosting her friends just below. It was refreshing to be around people with whom she didn't feel the need to be 'hidden' though, and Galina stroked her thumb over the smooth skin of Gloria's hand and pressed her thigh more heavily against hers as well.

"You already saw it?" Gloria asked, sounding mock aghast.

"You sound like Lourdes," Diablo said. "She tried to get me to wait in the car when we went to the dress store, but Blanca wanted me there."

"Nobody's opinion matters more to me," Blanca leaned back to look at him.

"Lourdes said she cried," Gloria smirked.

"We _all _cried," Blanca laughed. "It was such an amazing day. We wish you could have been there."

"I wish so too," Gloria sighed. "But we've had a pretty few eventful months ourselves, haven't we, honey?" she returned the pressure that Galina was placing on her thigh.

"The little nugget," Blanca said affectionately. "I wish you lived closer so that our kids could grow up together."

"We all just need to get better about visiting," Gloria said confidently. She had cut away from everyone for so many years and finding her place again would probably take time. "We'll fly out more," she glanced at Galina and nodded. "Maybe take a break from the snow?"

"New Years?" Galina offered, staring at Gloria. "Dmitri has the kids-"

"Yeah," Gloria nodded, opening her hand to enjoy the feeling of Galina's finger running back and forth across the lines on her palm. She turned back to her cousins. "You want to take us out on the town New Years Eve?" she asked them. "I already know that Lourdes will watch the babies."

"Dmitri is your ex-husband, right?" Blanca asked.

"Yes," Galina nodded.

"Well, I think it's great that you all can get along," Blanca said, entwining her legs around Diablo's thick calf. "That must mean everything to your kids."

"It's a work in progress," Galina said honestly. "It depends on the day…." she nudged Gloria playfully. "Gloria is the one who made best friends with him and his new girlfriend."

"I'm being nice to the guy," Gloria protested with a grin. "He lost himself the best girl in the world with his antics, and now you're with me, so I throw him a bone…"

"I don't think he is licking his wounds as much as you think," Galina gritted her teeth.

"I think you underestimate just how lovely you are," Gloria retorted.

"You're both so sweet together," Blanca said, and both women turned back to her. "It's so refreshing...I'm so happy that Gloria found you, Galina...and the boys, they're both so lucky to have you too."

"I love them," Galina said simply. "I'd be crazy not to, and Julio has been my little buddy since the day that I met him."

"He's a great kid," Diablo nodded. "He is going to be adorable as the ring bearer."

"Okay, give it to me straight," Gloria held up a hand. "Did Lourdes, or did she not, bump another kid out of the wedding party to make room for Julio?"

Diablo and Blanca exchanged a look. "The truth?" Blanca asked. "Well, Ma called me up right after you told her you were coming and of course that meant I wanted Julio in the wedding. Karla's boys were supposed to do it together but now they're going to escort the flower girls down the aisle instead."

"Who are the flower girls?" asked Gloria.

"Do you remember cousins Maria and Theresa's daughters?" Blanca asked. "Maritza and Marisol? They're a couple years older than the boys but it will still look cute."

"I'm not sure I can place them…" Gloria said honestly. Their family was huge and Lourdes always introduced everyone to her as a cousin, even when nobody could work out how exactly they were related.

"Well, the wedding will give you a chance to get reacquainted with everybody," Diablo said.

"I almost forgot," Blanca threw up her hand. "Do either of you want a drink?"

"_Mi Amor_, remember we have that meeting with the decorators at three o'clock?" Diablo said.

"Ah, I forgot," Blanca sighed. "We'll have to head out."

"You don't have to leave though," Diablo said to Gloria and Galina. "Take advantage of the place in our absence, if you want."

"If you know what he means," Blanca winked.

"Well, I wasn't _necessarily _going there, but okay," Diablo lightly tapped Blanca on the thigh.

"There's wine in the fridge," Blanca told them. "And leftover cheesecake that Ma dropped by. Feel free to indulge yourselves."

"Okay," Gloria said, shaking her head in amusement. "Anything else?"

"Mmm…" Blanca tilted her head to the side and brought her finger up to her lip, pondering. "The bathtub is deep and will fit you both."

"We'll keep it in mind," Gloria rolled her eyes, not daring to look at Galina now, as she squeezed her hand tightly again. "" But how considerate of you…"

"Six kids in the house? One of whom is an infant who I'm told likes to keep everyone up all night? You need to create romance where you can," Blanca replied.

"We'll babysit for you when the day comes," Galina promised.

"When you come visit, you can go swim naked in the lake under the full moonlight," Gloria teased. "And it's such a quiet space that nobody will call the cops."

"Ah, Blanca, that's another one off our list," Diablo said.

"List?" Galina asked.

"Of places and ways we want to have sex," Blanca replied unabashedly.

"Oh," Galina blushed. She had never been around people quite as open and blunt about such things as they were, but they were so welcoming to her and she liked them both a lot. She watched Diablo and Blanca hurry into the bedroom to change their clothes and then they were out the door within minutes.

"They're too much," Gloria shook her head. "But I think we need to give them an extra special wedding present after this."

Galina nodded. Gloria leaned back into the couch, and Galina lay back with her this time more comfortably. She wasn't thinking about her kids right now and was far enough away from home that work or her divorce were the farthest things from her mind. All that was real to her in this moment was the person she loved so much and could be with now freely, without any restrictions or interruptions.

**Thank you so much for reviewing wallscollide, galinareznikovlove, whenaspritemeetsaunicorn, Juliette, Johanna-002, and A Star in My Universe. **


	27. Chapter 27

"Lots of people cry at weddings, darling," Gloria said lightly, walking ahead of her across the beach and then planting herself straight down in the sand. She scooped up some sand in her hand and watched it slowly trickle down between her fingers.

"Yes, but you never struck me as the type," Galina replied.

The wedding ceremony had been absolutely beautiful and Galina had been mesmerized by the proceedings, at least until she had noticed the tears flowing down Gloria's cheeks. From where she was sitting, Galina had felt like they were about much more than just being moved by her cousin getting married.

"I'm a sucker for a good wedding," Gloria smiled, tucking her knees up underneath her as she stroked her palm over the sand.

Galina rolled her eyes at her and smiled. She had loved meeting Diablo and Blanca the other day, and had completely enjoyed attending their wedding. It was entirely informal, with both the bride and the groom breaking off script to laugh together and exchange inside jokes that nobody but the two of them could understand. They were crazy, but their relationship was solid and everyone could see how much they completely adored one another.

"Nicky asked me if I wanted to get married again," Galina shared.

"Oh?" Gloria said, her eyes darting nervously to the side. "And what did you say?"

Almost at once, Galina's heart started pounding more quickly and the baby seemed to feel it too. She had been wearing Benny in a wrap all afternoon for the wedding proceedings. The wrap was grey with a pattern of red roses the precise shade of the dress she was wearing so that they matched. She wrapped one arm around the baby and used her other to support herself as she lowered herself down onto the sand to sit next to Gloria.

"Honestly...I told her that I think weddings are a thing of the past for me," Galina replied, she tried tucking her legs underneath her the way Gloria was, kneeling on them, and then finally stretched them straight out in front of her in an attempt to get comfortable. She smoothed her hand down over her skirt and shot a nervous glance at Gloria.

"Of course, I could reconsider if that's something that you really wanted," she added quickly, concerned that she might have upset her. "I know it's important to some people, and it was to me when I was having my children, but at this stage in my life, I just don't feel it is necessary."

"I don't either," Gloria shrugged her shoulders. "Arturo just signed the papers; I'm not even technically divorced yet. Getting married again is probably the farthest thing from my mind. In actual fact, the idea terrifies me. Besides, I don't need a piece of paper to make what we share feel more really...especially after yesterday," she added with a smirk.

Galina blushed. They'd taken advantage of Diablo and Blanca's offer yesterday, and savoured some alone time in their apartment which was practically non-existent when you had as many kids as they did. They had kissed and they had touched, and they had barely spoken. They didn't need words. Arturo finally agreeing to grant Gloria her divorce and this trip together had drawn them even closer. . They had felt free to give themselves to one another in every way, at long last.

"That's how I feel," Galina assured her. "I don't need anything more."

"That's fine," Gloria assured her. "Let me know if you change your mind though. I'm pretty sure Dmitri wants to marry Tammy next year."

"Well, then more power to him," Galina said simply, not feeling even a smidgeon of discomfort at that reality. Their marriage really was over in every sense of the word and she felt completely okay with that. Her children were doing okay with it too. It helped that she and Dmitri were figuring things out between them. Sometimes she thought that she loved him more now than she ever had before in all their married years. Now that she wasn't beholden to him and trying to honour something that could never be right for her, it was easier to appreciate him for the good man that he was. They were still a family.

"You look so beautiful," Galina whispered, "did I tell you that?"

"About twenty times," Gloria grinned. "But keep the compliments coming. I like them."

She was wearing a turquoise dress made from beautiful chiffon fabric. It was tied in a halter behind her neck and her hair was knotted up in an elegant twist. Her back was bare, her skin tanned like it had been kissed by the sun. Still taking care to support the baby, Galina leaned over to trail gently kisses along the sharp edge of Gloria's right shoulder blade.

"I'm honestly surprised that everything was so traditional though," she said honestly. "I don't know what I expected them to make you wear, but it wasn't this. I expected a bit more eccentricity."

"You missed the argument between Blanca and Lourdes this morning when we were getting ready," Gloria said with a wry smile. "She let Lourdes have a lot of influence to make her happy, but she was really determined to wear a set of devil horns beneath her wedding veil to walk down the aisle."

"Devil horns?" Galina raised her eyebrows, as Gloria laughed at her reaction. "That's a thing now?"

"It's her and Diablo's thing," Gloria shrugged. "They even had Julio running around in a pair at one point before Lourdes snatched them off his head. I told her we needed to keep them for Benny."

"Stop," Galina protested, affectionately pressing her lips to the baby's thick head of hair. "How can you say that after he was such a good boy all day? He didn't make a sound the entire ceremony."

"Because he was raving all last night," Gloria said, sounding unimpressed. "You didn't hear him because you were fast asleep snoring."

Galina bristled. "I don't snore," she objected.

"Yeah, okay," Gloria laughed. "Let's go with that. Anyway, we compromised and got pictures taken of us all wearing horns. Pretty sure that one is not going to make it onto Tia's mantel."

"Ma!" Vasily called, and both women turned their focus to the water's edge. All five of the kids had taken their shoes and socks off, and were laughing together when the waves brushed up onto the shore and tickled their toes. Julio kept running away just in time screaming. His suit was covered in sand from all the times he had dove into it. He was having the time of his life.

"What?" Galina called back, resting her hand on Gloria's knee.

"Can I roll up my pants and wade out just a lit-"

"No," she replied, before her son could even finish his request. "You take one step into that ocean and you won't like what happens next."

"Why can't they?" Gloria questioned.

"I don't want them to get their nice clothes all wet," Galina replied.

"What does it matter? The wedding is over," Gloria countered. They had just eaten dinner and though it was expected that the after-party reception would go all night, nobody had any intention of going there in the same clothes they had worn to the ceremony. Diablo's heavy metal band was going to be performing and Blanca had already slyly shown Gloria what her costume change was going to be. Galina and Gloria were planning to go there later tonight, once they got all the kids' home and put the little ones to bed.

She jumped up from the ground and jogged across the sand, enjoying the tickling sensation on the pads of her feet. "Let me get a picture of you guys," she urged, "and then you can go wading, Vasily. Mama will just have to deal and then you don't have to have a bath tonight."

"Works for me," Vasily agreed. He went to stand between Nicky and Maxim, while Yuri caught Julio in his arms and hoisted him up on his shoulders. Gloria took her phone out of her little beaded clutch and smiled as she took a few shots of them all, making sure to capture the setting sun in the background. They all looked so lovely. Yuri, Maxim, and Vasily in their black suits with silk ties, and Nicky in the black pantsuit they had bought for the school dance. Gloria had fixed the tear in the knee and it looked as good as new.

"Y'all look so good!" she exclaimed, smiling as she felt Galina approach and wrap a gentle hand around her waist. "Now, will one of you take one of me and your mom?"

"I will," Nicky said agreeably, her brothers had already begun to disperse. Yuri set Julio back down and kept him in close sight, as he and Maxim followed him up the shore. Vasily rolled his pants up as high as he could and waded out past his knees in the surf, before one leg dropped and he was soaked.

"Get out of the way," Nicky ordered him. "Mama and Gloria need to stand there. The sunset in the background is beautiful."

"It is," Galina agreed, though she flashed her daughter a reproving look about the way she addressed her brother. She allowed Gloria to steer her closer to the water's edge and smiled when she leaned forward to kiss the baby in the wrap.

"My sleepy little prince," Gloria cooed, stroking his hair back with a light finger. Then she leaned over to kiss the corner of Galina's mouth. "You look so beautiful too," she whispered.

"I've had this dress forever," Galina brushed her off. It was a timeless silk dress that hit her just below the knee and had been in her closet forever. Benny had been running his fingers over the fabric since she'd put it on and parts of it were now sticky and coated with drool, but she didn't care.

"Because it looks amazing on you," Gloria replied, leaning her head against her shoulder as they both smiled in Nicky's direction.

They broke apart when they heard the sound of crying. Julio had tripped over a stick partially buried in the sand and was sobbing for his mami while Maxim carried him over to them. The noise woke up Benny who jerked his head back in alarm, before glaring up at Galina indignantly as though she were the one responsible for disturbing him.

"Back to sleep," she urged him softly, but Benny just responded by sticking a finger up her nose.

"Watch it," she chuckled, gently pulling his pudgy little fist back from her face. She kissed it lovingly and then held it in hers as her assailant tried to pry free for another attack.

"Ah ahh ahhhh ah," he babbled, and Galina nodded at him as if it made sense to her. Sometimes she imagined she could hear words in between his cooing but mostly it was just loud shrieking from their very vocal baby.

"This one is my favourite, ma," Nicky announced. She had been swiping through the pictures on the phone and held it up for her mother to see.

"You like that?" Galina asked, trying to mask her surprise. Nicky had taken nearly two dozen photos in the few seconds they had stood together, and had shown her a sunset shot of Galina smiling just after Gloria had kissed her.

"Yeah," Nicky said simply. "You two should dress up more often. You look like you really belong together."

"Thank you, honey," Galina replied, feeling a little self-conscious. "I think so too."

She would have settled for her children regarding her and Gloria with a sense of respectful neutrality, so to see their acceptance beginning to drift towards enthusiasm was quite amazing. It was more than she would have ever expected from them and she knew she was incredibly fortunate to have discovered what had been missing her entire life and have it be embraced by her children and even her ex-husband. It made all the difference and although she was still nervous about being out and judged, it was a relief to know that she was safe in her family to love the person she wanted to love.

**Sorry for the delay in posting this. I promise not to wait this long to update again. Thank you so much for the reviews wallscollide, whenaspritemeetsaunicorn, Johanna-002, Juliette, HobbitPez, A Star in My Universe, and galinareznikovlove. **


	28. Chapter 28

**I didn't realize until I had begun writing this chapter that I didn't really have too much to say. I think I was postponing updating this story because I deep down knew it had reached its natural conclusion and I wasn't ready for it to end. Writing this always has brought me to a place of peace, and even when I struggled to get motivated, I always enjoyed getting into this au world that me and Johanna-002 created for them. Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed this story. **

"I'm not even going to try to convince you to stay this time," Lourdes said with a wry smile. She reached out a hand and gave her niece an affectionate pat on the cheek.

"Figured out that that's a battle you won't win, huh?" Gloria teased, raising her hand to cover her aunt's with her own.

"That, and I think I forgot just how loud kids can be, especially when they don't go home at the end of the day like your cousins," Lourdes replied, shaking her head and then using her hand to brush the curls off of her face. Her eyes darted past Gloria's shoulder to where Galina was directing the children through the security line. They had already said their goodbyes and Lourdes felt a pang in her heart when she thought about how much she was going to miss them. Nicky had slipped out of her sandals, forgetfully foregoing the wearing of socks at an airport, and now was standing barefoot on the filthy floor making Lourdes cringe.

"Now, if you and Galina ever grow tired of winter and decide you want to buy a house across the street from me, I'd be all for it," Lourdes added, sighing as her eyes down casted to the sleeping bundle in Gloria's arms. Julio was up ahead with Galina. His little backpack was stuffed full of treats and little toys. Lourdes had helped him pack it yesterday.

"I'll keep that in mind," Gloria laughed, leaning forward to give her aunt a kiss. In her arms, Benny stirred slightly at the movement. He had passed out five minutes before they arrived at the airport and now Gloria was dreading the thought of having to keep him occupied for their entire flight. It would be just like Benny to wake up just before they boarded the plane.

"But for now, you should plan to come visit us in August," Gloria reminded her. "Blanca and Diablo said they are going to come out too. Do some camping."

"Well, I guess I can't let you all have fun without me," Lourdes said. "I'll come out when they do. I need to see how big my boys are growing, after all."

"Gloria," Galina's thick accent called over to them. She and the children had all gotten through security and were waiting for Gloria to join them. It was time to go.

"Better catch up with your family, _mija_," Lourdes said fondly and Gloria beamed at her words.

"I'm so lucky," Gloria said happily, leaning into her aunt in an affectionate hug. Benny squished in between them.

"No, not lucky," Lourdes shook her head. "I think this was just always meant to be."

"I think so," Gloria agreed, reluctantly pulling away after a long pause.

It was difficult to leave and she wished they could all live closer. However, she wouldn't trade the life she shared now with Galina for anything. Everything had fallen into place under the most unimaginable circumstances. It seemed like a different person had once travelled in an old cab up a lonely highway with a scared boy next to her and a bruised-up face. How could she have ever known that such a tragic event would lead her to the place she was always meant to be, where she knew she would never have to feel that way again.

"That took forever!" Gloria complained, once she had finally gotten through the security line. She caught Galina's eye and couldn't resist smiling as she fell into the crook of her arm and leaned in tight.

"What happened?" asked Galina, turning her gaze back to Julio who was running around their group in circles. She allowed it because she'd rather him burn off some energy before needing

to sit several hours on the plane. .

"People wanting to fight me about my baby's milk," Gloria said, adjusting the small cooler bag slung over one shoulder. Galina had made up a batch of bottles for Benny just that morning, and what seemed excessive to the airline was how much that little guy with his voracious appetite required. Besides, the suckling helped his little ears on the landing.

"They shouldn't have," Galina frowned. "I called ahead to check the regulations."

"Well, I guess nobody informed them," Gloria rolled her eyes, shooting a look of annoyance back over her shoulder at the security guards.

"Anyway," she exhaled loudly. "I guess we should feed them before we board? The food they serve on the airplane is always terrible."

"Yesss!" Nicky exclaimed loudly. "I'm starving!"

"Me too," Vasily added.

"Can we get ice-cream, Mami?" Julio asked hopefully, coming to a halt right in front of her.

"No ice-cream," Gloria shook her head. "I don't want sticky hands and messy clothes right before we get on an airplane."

"And here you called me the strict one," Galina smirked.

Gloria raised her eyebrows at her coyly. "You wouldn't have allowed ice-cream right now either," she said confidently.

"Oh, yes I would," Galina smiled.

"No way, you liar," Gloria retorted, making Galina concede with a laugh. Ice Cream would have necessitated a change of clothes undoubtedly, which both of them would like to avoid if they could. Gloria rolled her eyes and leaned in quickly to kiss the corner of her mouth. She loved how playful it felt to be with her.

"French fries then," Nicky decided for them, sounding impatient. "Just don't let Julio have any ketchup. I'm dying here."

"Fine," Galina gave in. "Do you want some french fries too, Vasya?"

"Yes," Vasily replied.

Galina nodded her head and reached into her purse for her wallet. "What about you boys?" she called over to Yuri and Maxsim, who were seated on a bench a little bit away from the rest of them. "Do you want to eat?"

"Sure," Yuri agreed, and Galina bypassed Nicky's expectant outstretched hand to give her oldest the credit card.

"Mama!" Nicky's arm dropped down to her side in outrage.

"Go order everyone some fries from that food stand," she instructed him. "Maxsim, you go help carry everything."

As the two oldest boys headed off to do as told, Galina turned back to Nicky who was looking offended. "The last time I gave you my card you spent twice what you were supposed to," she reminded her.

"That was an accident," Nicky smiled sheepishly at her mother's stern gaze, though the glimmer in her eye was detectable.

Gloria laughed and went to take a spot on the bench that the boys had vacated. She watched Galina chase after Julio who tried to wander off too far. Julio giggled and squirmed as she scooped him up into her arms and powdered his cheeks with loving kisses. Off to the side, Nicky and Vasily had resumed an argument they had begun in the van over which one of them was going to snag the window seat.

"Are you sad to go?" Galina asked, carrying Julio over to the bench and taking a seat next to Gloria, leaving scarcely any space between them.

"Mmm…" Gloria considered the question, reaching for Galina's hand and bringing it to her lips. "Not really at all, actually," she finally replied. "I'm excited to get back to our own space. Have a little bit more privacy."

"Oh really?" Galina whispered, her eyes glinting mischievously.

"Yes," Gloria smiled. "You've been leaving me hanging since our time alone in Blanca and Diablo's apartment. I wouldn't mind trying that again."

"Well, that makes two of us," Galina said softly, "let's hope Benny sleeps through the night."

"I don't want to sleep," Julio said loudly, leaning back into Galina's arms.

"Well, you don't have to yet," she assured him.

"Can I sleep in your bed?" he asked.

"Mmm…" the two women exchanged a look. Gloria winked at her and then spoke to her son. "Let's try your own bed tonight," she told him. "Aren't you excited to get back to it?"

"Yes," Julio nodded. "But I liked Tia's house too."

"We can go back," Gloria told him. Just as the two oldest boys came back with boxes of fries and Nicky and Vasily stopped arguing long enough to crowd around and get some.

"Can I get a soda, mama?" Nicky asked, popping a french fry into her mouth.

"Maybe on the plane," Galina replied. "Just drink your water right now."

Nicky sighed dramatically, before sliding down onto the floor and leaned her back against her mother's legs to rest. Vasily didn't hesitate to lean against Gloria the same way. He was entirely comfortable with her and even more so after seeing her family and getting to feel like a part of them.

"Do you think Pop missed us?" Vasily asked. They had never travelled away from home for this long without both of their parents.

"Oh, I know he did, honey," Galina replied, feeding Gloria a french fry so that she wouldn't need to move one of her arms that were cradling Benny. "And I hope he and Tammy didn't run my restaurant into the ground while we've been away."

"Oh, Ma, don't fuss," Nicky teased, leaning her head back to look up at her mother sweetly. "Aleida was there to help him too."

"That doesn't comfort me," Galina told her, while Gloria laughed. She was looking forward to getting back to work too and settling once again into their normal routine. The weather was beautiful. They would be outside in almost all their spare time. Galina had been talking about getting a new swing placed out in her garden and Gloria couldn't imagine anything more perfect than sitting out there with her watching the sunset after a hard day's work.

"This is the life," Gloria said quietly, more to herself than anyone else. This was more than she had ever dreamed of. She finally understood the concept of home. It was what she carried in her heart for Galina and all these children. Home was wherever they were, even as they excitedly prepared to head to the house where home was grown.

To the place that a broken road marked by broken hearts and dreams had led. You didn't need to look too hard to see how the tribulations and moments in both their pasts had brought them together, and Gloria was thankful for all of it. What had taught her and grown her into the person she'd become. Lourdes was right that it was not simply luck, but simply meant to be, and Gloria never again would question the course of her life. She was just going to enjoy the journey.


End file.
